Bathing season has kicked off in England with campaigners raising concerns about the Government’s planned reforms and protesters calling for more action on sewage pollution.
The Environment Agency starts testing water quality at designated bathing waters on Thursday – the start of the official season, which runs from May 15 to the end of September.
Applications for new bathing sites are also reopening for the first time since October 2023.
Wild swimming has surged in popularity across the UK in recent years but the rises in sewage discharges and pollution have also made many blue spaces unsafe.
In response to widespread public anger, the Government announced reforms to bathing water regulations earlier this year, which include changes to designation criteria for future sites, more flexible seasons, and an expansion of the legal definition of “bather”.
But the Marine Conservation Society is warning the reforms could leave swimmers more at risk from poor water quality, reduce the number of newly designated sites, and shorten rather than lengthen the season, leading to less monitoring.
Meanwhile, thousands of water users around the UK plan to stage a nationwide protest against sewage pollution on Saturday by paddling out into water at dozens of locations.
To monitor water quality, the Environment Agency said it plans to take more than 7,000 samples at 451 designated bathing sites across England throughout this year’s season.
Results from lab tests will be uploaded on to Swimfo to help the public decide where to swim, and will be ultimately used to classify the quality of each site as “excellent”, “good”, “sufficient” or “poor” at the end of the season.
Environment Agency chairman Alan Lovell said: “The information from those tests helps us keep people safe, target our regulation and encourage investment to drive up water quality standards.
“It’s part of our core commitment to protect people and the environment.”
But the Marine Conservation Society said the reforms fail to address concerns over sampling, as it claimed 103 water samples were excluded from water quality assessments during the 2024 season.
Under current rules in England, samples taken during short-term pollution events or “abnormal situations” such as sewage spills can be removed from those used to make the final site classifications, the team said, adding this risks the health of swimmers and other water users.
Wherever you are in the UK, you've got a reason to join the Paddle-Out this year. 👇
— Surfers Against Sewage (@sascampaigns) May 13, 2025
England
💥 2,487 pollution incidents in 2024, more than double the target.
📈 Pollution up 30%, despite promises to cut it by 40%.
💸 Avarage bill rise of £123, or 26%.
Wales
💩 118,276 sewage… pic.twitter.com/GRIb87auAq
Rachel Wyatt, Marine Conservation Society policy and advocacy manager, said: “We are concerned that if the UK and Welsh governments go ahead with the reforms as planned, it will undermine the spirit of the bathing water regulations to protect the health of water users.
“Any site that is well used recreationally should be designated as a bathing water, and sampling practices should be reviewed as soon as possible.
“Timeframes must also be set for delivery of wider reforms, to ensure that all water users are protected, not just swimmers.”
The Government will also face further anger over water pollution as people flock to more than 40 locations across the country on Saturday for the “Paddle-Out Protests” co-ordinated by Surfers Against Sewage (SAS).
The protesters will call for total reform of the water industry in England and Wales, and clearer monitoring and transparency of the sewage crisis in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
It comes as the Independent Water Commission reviews its evidence before making recommendations to Government on reforming the water industry in England and Wales.
Giles Bristow, SAS chief executive, said: “The thousands paddling out across the UK are letting the water companies, Government and Independent Water Commission know, loud and clear, that we will not accept another year of risking our health to swim in the sea.”
Water minister Emma Hardy said: “Our bathing waters across the country are a great source of pride.
“That is why this Government is committed to protecting them. Our landmark Water Act includes new powers to ban bonuses for polluting water bosses and to bring criminal charges against them if they break the law.
“A record £104 billion in private investment has also been secured to upgrade and build new sewage pipes to help clean up our waterways for good as part of the government’s plan for change.”
