Bathing water reforms keep pace with Britain’s love of swimming
Reforms to modernise bathing waters could see swimmers enjoying cleaner water and flexible seasons, as government states plans to bolster bathing water rules.
Shoreham Beach
As part of this first shake-up to our bathing waters since 2013, the government is developing plans to expand the definition of ‘bathers’ to include participants in water sports other than swimming, such as paddle boarders and surfers. To make sure that people can enjoy these activities safely, the government will also look to introduce multiple monitoring points at each bathing water location.
The news comes as the government confirms applications for new bathing waters in England will re-open in May, the start of the 2025 bathing water season. Prospective sites will be assessed against the government’s newly reformed standards, set to become law later this year.
After years of failure, our water infrastructure is crumbling, and public anger is growing over sewage spills. That is why the government is modernising the outdated bathing water Regulations, to make sure sites are given the right technical and financial support to improve.
Updating bathing water regulations is part the wider action government is taking to fix our water system - from banning bonuses for polluting water bosses through the Water (Special Measures) Act to ringfencing customer money for vital infrastructure upgrades. The government has also launched the largest review into the water sector since privatisation, to consider where further reform is needed.
This is part of the government’s Plan for Change to support the infrastructure Britain needs to boost growth, construct 1.5 million new homes, and clean up our rivers, lakes and seas for good.
Water Minister Emma Hardy said:
Bathing water sites are the pride of local communities across the country.
But safety and cleanliness is paramount, and we must go further and faster to open up our waterways for families to enjoy.
The Government is upgrading outdated regulations so they are fit for purpose. It is also why we are re-opening applications for new bathing sites in England, so that more people have the opportunity to experience the benefits of our beautiful waters.
Wales’s Deputy First Minister, with responsibility for Climate Change Huw Irranca-Davies added:
Wales is home to some of the most beautiful bathing waters in Europe and we are committed to ensuring they remain safe, sustainable, and accessible for future generations.
These reforms mark an important step forward and, by modernising how we manage our bathing waters, we can strengthen protections in a way that means these natural spaces can still be enjoyed safely.
Key reforms will include:
- Removing fixed bathing season dates (which currently runs from May to September) from the regulations to allow for a more flexible approach to monitoring, and to better reflect when people use bathing waters.
- Further considering a site’s feasibility to improve, public safety and environmental considerations when applications for new bathing waters are assessed.
- Ending the automatic de-designation of bathing water status after 5 consecutive years of a site being rated ‘poor’, which can damage local tourism and businesses. Instead, underperforming sites will be individually reviewed by regulators, taking into account their unique circumstances.
Following a public consultation, members of the public, environmental groups, farmers, businesses and local authorities showed clear support for modernising bathing water regulations. UK and Welsh governments have worked collaboratively when considering these contributions and will now look to formally update the regulations in their respective areas this Autumn.
Both Defra and the Welsh governments will work closely with the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales to ensure the new measures are implemented effectively, using innovative approaches to adapt to challenges and ensure everyone has the opportunity to safely access bathing waters.
This week, the Environment Secretary and Water Minister Emma Hardy will visit seven iconic water sites across the country, to see where investment in water infrastructure will underpin the building of new homes, create jobs and turbocharge local economies – a cornerstone of the government’s Plan for Change.
Over £100 billion of private sector money will be invested into the water sector. This is the largest investment into water in history, and the second largest investment into any part of the economy over the lifetime of this parliament.
Environment Agency Chair Alan Lovell said:
We know just how important England’s bathing waters are to people and to local economies, so we welcome the opportunity to improve their management as we all want to see better bathing water quality.
Ben Seal, Head of Access & Environment at Paddle UK, on behalf of the Clean Water Sports Alliance said:
For the water sports community, the commitment to modernise our outdated bathing water regulations is an encouraging development.
More people than ever want to be in, on or alongside our waterways, to relax, to explore, to spend time with friends and importantly, to stay healthy.
We are pleased that with these new reforms, the Government is showing it recognises the diversity of where, when and how the public wish to enjoy blue spaces.
We hope this announcement will have a ripple effect on the government’s plans for wider reform across all our waters, helping turn the tide on pollution and giving more people an opportunity to access cleaner, safer waters for recreation.
Notes to editors
- Bathing waters are officially designated outdoor swimming sites. England and Wales have over 550 designated bathing waters, which are monitored by the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales. Annual ratings classify each site as ‘excellent’, ‘good’, ‘sufficient’ or ‘poor’ on the basis of water quality.
- Applicants are encouraged to use the upcoming season to gather evidence for their applications. Prospective sites will be assessed against the government’s newly reformed standards. Defra will publish updated guidance on how to apply for a site to be designated at the start of the bathing water season (15 May 2025).
- Applications for the 2026 season will close on 31 October 2025.