Consultation launched on rowing’s inclusion in Government’s designation of ‘bathing waters’
Rowers can have their say in the consultation, which is the first big shake up of government water regulations since 2013
Designated ‘bathing waters’ are monitored by the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales, with annual ratings classifying each site as excellent, good, sufficient or poor on the basis of water quality.
This public consultation is designed to gather views from a wide range of recreational water users about how the regulations should be updated to reflect how people now use lakes and rivers in England and Wales. Proposals include: removing fixed season dates from regulations, and introducing multiple testing points at bathing water sites. Currently only swimmers are included in the definition of ‘bathers’, but that could change to include other water sports like rowers and surfers.
The announcement has been made by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) ahead of an independent report by the Office of Environmental Protection (OEP), due to be published this week. Recommendations from the OEP report, to which British Rowing and other members of the Clean Water Sports Alliance contributed, are set to be considered as part of Defra’s consultation.
British Rowing Sustainability Lead, Rachel Dulai, said, “British Rowing, along with the other 10 watersports that make up the Clean Water Sports Alliance, welcome this news as “Advocating for change from ‘bathing waters’ to recreation waters’ within government policy’ is one of our three ‘asks’ of regulators and decision makers. We look forward to taking part in the consultation which we hope will lead to more waters being opened up for regular testing that will improve the state of our waters for all to enjoy without fear of them being dirty.”
Andrew Blit, Membership Officer at Sudbury RC, said, “Following Sudbury’s own project as part of a community group that achieved bathing water status earlier in the year, we wholeheartedly welcome the proposed measures, which would reflect the breadth of community use throughout the year and would bring a greater intensity and rigour to monitoring of water quality.”
Water Minister Emma Hardy said, “Bathing water sites are the pride of local communities across the country, but the current system is not working for all those who use and enjoy our bathing waters, and reform is long overdue. That is why this Government will give more people the opportunity to experience the benefits of our beautiful waters and connect with nature.”
The consultation will run for six weeks, closing on 23 December 2024.
