Written Question·Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs·UIN 91316

Lake Windermere: Pollution Control

Tabled: 17 November 2025

Answered: 24 November 2025

Named Day

Question

Tim Farron

Liberal Democrat — Westmorland and Lonsdale

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to allocate funding to ensure that bathing-water sampling in Lake Windermere takes place year-round rather than seasonally.

Answer

Emma Hardy

On 28 October 2025, the Department laid before Parliament a Statutory Instrument which incorporates reforms to modernise the Bathing Water Regulations. Core reform 3, which is due to come into force 21 November, introduces discretion to determine a different bathing season for a site where appropriate, allowing more flexible, locally tailored bathing seasons that reflect when people use the site.

We are working with the Environment Agency (EA) on a pre-implementation research project which will consult with stakeholders to ensure we have considered all the relevant factors. The outcome of this project will be set out in public guidance that will be published in due course.

Currently, the EA samples regularly throughout the season and this will continue with any bathing site extensions under core reform 3. This data is published regularly on the EA’s Swimfo bathing waters website ensuring the public can make an informed decision before entering the water.