Water: Standards
Question
Tim Farron
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of current sampling coverage at designated bathing-water sites.
Answer
Emma HardyThe Environment Agency (EA) monitors all designated bathing waters above the minimum monthly frequency requirement of the Bathing Water Regulations during the bathing water season. Most sites are sampled weekly, in line with the World Health Organisation’s recommendations to reduce misclassification risk. Data is published on the EA’s Swimfo bathing waters website, ensuring bathers can make informed decisions.
On 28 October 2025, the Department laid before Parliament an SI which incorporates reforms to modernise the Bathing Water Regulations. Core reform 3 comes into force 21 November, introducing the discretion to determine a different bathing season for a site where appropriate, allowing locally tailored bathing seasons that reflect their use.
We are working with the EA on a pre-implementation research project, where we will consult with stakeholders to ensure we have considered all the relevant factors. The outcome will be set out in public guidance to be published in due course.