England's bathing waters are five times more likely to be polluted than those in the European Union, according to new analysis by the campaign group Best for Britain. The research found that 64.2% of England's waters were rated 'excellent' by the Environment Agency in 2024, compared with 85.4% in the EU. Meanwhile, 8.4% of England's waters were rated 'poor', the highest proportion of any EU country, where the average was just 1.5%.
The findings have prompted warnings that the UK risks becoming the 'dirty man of Europe' again. A 'poor' rating means water quality falls below safe bathing standards due to excessive levels of bacteria such as intestinal enterococci and E. coli, which can cause serious illness. Scotland and Wales fared better, with 3.4% and 1.8% poor ratings respectively, while Northern Ireland had no poor sites.
Although the UK and EU use the same standards for measuring water quality, Best for Britain said many EU countries appear to implement and enforce them more effectively. The Office for Environmental Protection, the watchdog set up after Brexit, has found the UK is on track to miss water cleanliness targets it would have had to meet if it remained in the bloc.
The government is overhauling the water regulation system, including scrapping the regulator Ofwat and creating a new 'super regulator'. However, campaigners urge the UK to keep pace with EU updates, such as the urban waste water treatment directive targeting chemicals and pesticides. Naomi Smith, chief executive of Best for Britain, said: 'Clean water should be guaranteed to all, and no one should have to risk their health simply by enjoying a swim.'
