WATER makes submission to the Government’s bathing water consultation

In a related, but separate, issue to the EA’s 2024 report on Bathing Water quality, the Government ran a public consultation from 12th November to 23rd December 2024 about reforms to the Bathing Water Regulations 2013.

In summary, some of the key issues the consultation was designed to obtain comments on were:

  • removal of automatic de-designation after 5 years of ‘poor’ water quality
  • changes to the designation criteria of bathing sites
  • removing the fixed dates of the bathing season from regulations

The Government also sought views on proposed technical amendments, as well as potential upcoming reforms on:

  • the definition of ‘bathers’
  • the introduction of multiple monitoring points at bathing sites

WATER made a detailed response to the consultation. Our views were largely in line with those of Surfers Against Sewage but with more expanded responses on issues affecting the Erme.
The outcome of the public’s feedback will be published in due course and will be found here:  Reforms to The Bathing Water Regulations 2013 – GOV.UK