Bathing waters: apply to designate or de-designate
Guidance and application forms to designate or de-designate a coastal or inland water as a bathing water.
Applies to England
Documents
Details
The Bathing Water Regulations and application guidance are currently being revised. During this time, Defra is not accepting applications for a bathing water designation or de-designation.
We expect to begin accepting applications again in spring 2025.
Anyone can apply to designate or de-designate a bathing water.
If a site is designated, the Environment Agency will monitor water quality during the bathing season to protect the health of people bathing. The bathing season is from 15 May to 30 September.
If a site is de-designated, the Environment Agency will stop monitoring bathing water quality.
Find out how your personal information is used if you apply to designate or de-designate a bathing water.
Bathing water designation: criteria to meet
The criteria for a coastal or inland water to be designated as a bathing water are:
- many people are expected to bathe at the site
- infrastructure or facilities are provided at the site
- other measures promote bathing at the site
This is set out in the Bathing Water Regulations 2013 (Regulation 3(1)).
Bathing water monitoring
The Environment Agency monitors levels of E. coli and intestinal enterococci at designated bathing waters. They also look for indications of cyanobacteria, macro-algae, marine phytoplankton and waste.
The Environment Agency classifies designated bathing waters every year as excellent, good, sufficient or poor.
Updates to this page
Published 3 July 2023Last updated 13 May 2024 + show all updates
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Defra is not accepting applications for a bathing water designation or de-designation.
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The local police, Royal Agricultural Society of England and Tenant Farmers Association have been added to the list of who Defra will invite to respond to the consultation after you have submitted your application to designate or de-designate a bathing water.
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First published.