11th December 2024

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Welsh Government have launched a joint consultation on proposed reforms to the Bathing Water Regulations 2013. These regulations currently govern how bathing waters are designated, monitored, and managed across England and Wales, ensuring public health protection and water quality improvement. 

 
The consultation is open until 23^rd  December 2024 and seeks feedback on several core and wider reforms designed to make the regulations more flexible and effective, including: 

• Extending timelines for site improvement: Removing the automatic de-designation of sites after five years of poor classification to allow more time for investments to take effect. 
• Adding feasibility criteria for new designations: Ensuring sites can realistically achieve sufficient water quality before designation. 
• Adapting monitoring seasons: Allowing for locally tailored bathing season dates.
• Broadening the definition of bathers: Considering the needs of other water users, such as kayakers and paddleboarders. 
• Improving monitoring: Exploring the use of multiple monitoring points to better capture water quality variations. 

This is a unique opportunity to help shape the future of bathing water management, ensuring it remains fit for purpose in protecting public health while accommodating the evolving ways we interact with our water environments. 

Why It Matters for Windermere 

The Love Windermere Partnership welcomes this review as it directly impacts the way Bathing water quality is monitored and managed in our iconic lake. By sharing your views, you can contribute to decisions that will safeguard Windermere’s waters for swimmers, visitors, and future generations. 

How to Get Involved 

You can review the complete consultation document regarding England’s water by accessing the “Consultation on reform of the Bathing.pdf” document. For more details and to submit your feedback, please visit the “Consultation on Reform of the Bathing Water Regulations 2013 – Defra – Citizen Space website, where you can also participate in the online survey. 

Deadline: 23rd December 2024 

Help to shape the future of our bathing waters take part in the consultation today. Click the below button to have your say.

Find out more Swimfo – Bathing water quality | Bathing water quality statistics – GOV.UK | Understanding Bathing Water Quality