Part of the Wolvercote Mill Stream in Port Meadow, Oxford, an area popular with wild swimmers, will be just the second inland waterway to be officially designated as bathing water from next month. Last year, a section of the Wharfe River in Ilkley, Yorkshire became the first river in England to be given a bathing status in hopes of forcing water companies to stop discharging sewage into the scenic site where people often swim. The water has not yet been purified and recently received a poor water quality rating. Campaigns have called for more rivers to be bathed across England because it adds site requirements that could improve water quality. At these sites, the Environment Service should take regular water samples to assess the level of water quality and whether action is needed to reduce bacterial levels. It is hoped that if the sites are classified as poor quality, it could force water companies to stop dumping raw sewage. The government is asking locals to designate areas near them as bathing sites to ensure that areas where people swim, paddles and kayaks are monitored. Environment Minister Rebecca Pow said: “The people of Oxford and the Isle of Wight have shown their overwhelming approval for these sites as places to enjoy and connect with nature, so I’m glad to see these sites take over. set of swimming water. While bathing water quality has improved in recent years and England now has the cleanest bathing water since the archives began, we know that water quality in these locations will not change overnight. It will take time and everyone who has a role must commit to achieve the necessary improvements. “We continue to improve the quality of lakes, rivers and seas for the public to enjoy through the measures of our environmental law and I will encourage more applications for popular bathing areas, both inland and coastal, which may also be suitable. for a name. “ The monitoring will start on May 15, the beginning of the bathing water season, with the results of the water quality tests expected in the fall. A coastal location on the East Cowes Esplanade on the Isle of Wight will also be called a bathing water. Data released last week showed that water companies dumped raw sewage into English rivers 372,533 times last year, a slight decrease from the previous year. Water companies covering England have released raw sewage for a total of more than 2.7 million hours, compared to 3.1 million hours in 2020. The government recently unveiled its plans to reduce wastewater pollution, committing to 70% less discharges near bathing waters by 2035 during the bathing season, with significant reductions expected outside the bathing season. However, nature activists have said that the plans are failing and that under these English rivers they will continue to drown in sewage.
