West Lothian Council has applied to have a spot on the River Almond designated as bathing waters.
Earlier this year, Forth Rivers Trust, in conjunction with West Lothian Council, applied for the section of the River Almond to become an official bathing quarter.
The section of the river they applied for is in the heart of Almondell & Calderwood Country Park in West Lothian, upstream from the Nasmyth Bridge.
Forth Rivers Trust staff and members of the Friends Of Almondell & Calderwood Country Park and River Almond Action Group are carrying out surveys to count how many people use the river during the bathing season, and this information will be submitted to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.
A Forth Rivers spokesperson said that fears over pollution is what is driving this move.
They explained: “One of the main motivations for the bathing waters application is to hold water authorities to a higher standard of water quality control and monitoring for the River Almond.
"There are significant pollution issues arising from the Sewage Treatment Works further upstream, and designated bathing waters benefit from stricter monitoring of the water quality which will lead to safer water conditions for everyone who uses the river.
“SEPA designate areas of bathing water under the Bathing Waters (Scotland) Regulations 2008. The water quality of these areas is monitored throughout the bathing season, from June 1 to September 15. SEPA then classifies the general water condition of the area as excellent, good, sufficient, or poor.”
To find out more or take the survey visit: https://forthriverstrust.org/river-almond-bathing-waters/
Don't miss the latest news from the West Lothian Courier. Sign up to our free newsletter here https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/newsletter-preference-centre/
