A public consultation into changes to bathing water rules, which ends on 23 December, is including paddlers for the first time. The biggest change since 2013.
Currently only swimmers are included in the definition of ‘bathers’, but that could begin to include other water sports enthusiasts.
The consultation was launched in a bid to modernise bathing waters rules, of which there are 550 in England and Wales.
Read and download Paddle UK’s response to the Bathing Waters consultation
Other bathing water reforms could include removing fixed season dates from regulations and introducing multiple testing points at bathing water sites.
The announcement has been made by Defra ahead of an independent report by the Office of Environmental Protection, due to be published this week.
Recommendations from the OEP report, to which Paddle UK contributed, are set to be considered as part of Defra’s consultation.
Ben Seal, Head of Access and Environment at Paddle UK, said:
“Access to clean, healthy, nature-rich blue spaces is crucial to the health and wellbeing of millions of people around the UK.
“We are a water sports nation, however, as a result of the sewage scandal, the public have become increasingly fearful of getting sick, doing the activity they love.
“Paddle UK and the 10 other National Governing Bodies of watersports that make up the Clean Water Sports Alliance, welcome the announcement that bathing waters rules are to be consulted on and brought up to date with new reforms.
“The consultation will be an important opportunity for the voices of recreational users to be heard. We encourage as many people to feed into the process as possible.”
Bathing waters 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.
The public, environmental groups and businesses have all been invited to contribute.
Paddle UK will be working closely with Clean Water Sports Alliance members to input into the consultation and to provide guidance for its members and community on how to respond.
The government said changes to bathing water rules “will prioritise public safety and water quality” so more people can enjoy our rivers, lakes and seas throughout the seasons.
Current Bathing Water Regulations are ‘out of step’ and are failing to achieve sufficient standards, according to the Chair of the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP).
The OEP was created under the Environment Act 2021 and aims to protect and improve the environment by holding the government to account.
Dame Glenys Stacey, Chair of the OEP, said the “lack of overall improvement in water quality” combined with an increase in the number of bathing water sites failing to achieve sufficient standards, is a “cause for concern”.
The report, published on 14 November, makes 12 recommendations to Defra and the Environment Agency.
New National Sewage Spills Map
On 22 November, Water UK – the water sector umbrella body – launched a new National Storm Overflow Map.
It means paddlers, swimmers, surfers, will be able to view real-time sewage spills in rivers and seas for the first time.
Paddle UK and our partners have been campaigning for real-time monitoring of sewage overflows.
The launch of the National Storm Overflow Hub (NSOH) marks a significant improvement in increasing transparency and gives a fuller picture of the scale of pollution caused by the water sector.