The River Thames in London has received its first official bathing water designation, with the site at Ham in south-west London opening for the swimming season on Friday. It is one of 13 new monitored swimming areas across England, following a campaign by local swimmers who demonstrated that thousands of people use the river for swimming year-round.
Marlene Lawrence, founder of the Teddington Bluetits swimming group, which has over 2,000 members, led the application alongside colleagues. “This is amazing for the river and for the many people who enjoy it,” she said. “We want bathing water status to be a driver of keeping the River Thames clean and it will be fantastic to have this part of the river designated.”
Other new bathing sites include a tidal inlet off the River Yealm in south Devon, part of the River Fowey in Lostwithiel, Cornwall, the River Dee at Sandy Lane in Chester, a sea swimming area at Little Shore in Amble, Northumberland, Pangbourne Meadow in Berkshire, and the River Swale in Richmond, Yorkshire.
Water minister Emma Hardy said: “The introduction of these new bathing sites means better monitoring of our waterways, a boost for local tourism and greater confidence for local swimmers. Following years of indifference towards bathing waters, this government has expanded the number of sites as part of our overhaul of the water sector.”
Campaigners have sought bathing water status for rivers under the EU-derived bathing water directive for six years, aiming to drive cleanup efforts. Rivers face pollution from sewage discharge, chemicals, and agricultural runoff. The Environment Agency will test water weekly for faecal indicator organisms throughout the summer, publishing results online.
The regulator said it evaluates pollution levels and works with communities, farmers, and water companies to improve water quality. At Ilkley in West Yorkshire, where the River Wharfe became the first river to gain bathing status five years ago, Yorkshire Water is investing over £85 million in infrastructure upgrades.
