No bathing zone sign on Exmouth beach (Image: Getty)

       England's beaches and rivers have been slammed as it's revealed around one in 12 fail to meet water quality standards.

       The Environment Agency’s monitoring of designated bathing waters during the official swimming season between May and September reveals 8.2% of bathing waters – some 37 sites – were rated “poor” for water quality in 2024.

       DON'T MISS

       Powered by

       Britain could slap retaliatory taxes on Jack Daniel's and Levis if Donald Trump targets UK

       Comments

       England's beaches and rivers so polluted they're branded a 'national embarrassment'

       Comments

       Boris Johnson slams Britain's obese children as 'fatsos'

       Comments

       David Lammy issues key update on whether British troops will be sent to Ukraine

       Comments

       I'm an ex-Tory leader - Kemi Badenoch should bear this in mind about Donald Trump

       Comments

       Labour sent Brexit warning over fears of EU fishing ban U-turn

       Comments

       UK election map shows every seat Reform would win if bombshell petition succeeds

       Comments

       Rachel Reeves humiliated by business chief minutes after speaking at CBI conference

       Comments

       Farmers will be forced to sell farms to cover inheritance tax bills warns IFS

       Comments

       Labour's benefits plan blasted as they dodge 'difficult decisions'

       Comments

       Furious Labour civil war erupts over 'offensive' assisted dying row

       Comments

       Angela Rayner's flagship workers rights reform slammed by watchdog

       Comments

       Keir Starmer was ‘in shock' and ‘had no words' over election petition, says expert

       Comments

       Labour must prioritise global water crisis to fulfil manifesto pledge, warns charity boss

       Comments

       Thames Water in turmoil: Union warns government against ignoring financial 'car crash'

       Comments

       Tenerife in drought emergency crisis as tourists face paying more than locals for water

       Comments

       UK could fund winter fuel payments if it snubbed out illicit tobacco

       Comments

       UK's Japanese knotweed hotspots for 2024: Full list of 25 worst hit areas

       Comments

       New EU-UK 'reset' European bureaucrat will get paid ￡35k more than the Prime Minister

       Comments

       Furious Reform MP says Labour is 'keeping secret' number of illegal migrants in UK prisons

       Comments

       Britain could slap retaliatory taxes on Jack Daniel's and Levis if Donald Trump targets UK

       Comments

       England's beaches and rivers so polluted they're branded a 'national embarrassment'

       Comments

       Boris Johnson slams Britain's obese children as 'fatsos'

       Comments

       David Lammy issues key update on whether British troops will be sent to Ukraine

       Comments

       I'm an ex-Tory leader - Kemi Badenoch should bear this in mind about Donald Trump

       Comments

       Labour sent Brexit warning over fears of EU fishing ban U-turn

       Comments

       UK election map shows every seat Reform would win if bombshell petition succeeds

       Comments

       Rachel Reeves humiliated by business chief minutes after speaking at CBI conference

       Comments

       Farmers will be forced to sell farms to cover inheritance tax bills warns IFS

       Comments

       Labour's benefits plan blasted as they dodge 'difficult decisions'

       Comments

       Furious Labour civil war erupts over 'offensive' assisted dying row

       Comments

       Angela Rayner's flagship workers rights reform slammed by watchdog

       Comments

       Keir Starmer was ‘in shock' and ‘had no words' over election petition, says expert

       Comments

       Labour must prioritise global water crisis to fulfil manifesto pledge, warns charity boss

       Comments

       Thames Water in turmoil: Union warns government against ignoring financial 'car crash'

       Comments

       Tenerife in drought emergency crisis as tourists face paying more than locals for water

       Comments

       UK could fund winter fuel payments if it snubbed out illicit tobacco

       Comments

       UK's Japanese knotweed hotspots for 2024: Full list of 25 worst hit areas

       Comments

       New EU-UK 'reset' European bureaucrat will get paid ￡35k more than the Prime Minister

       Comments

       Furious Reform MP says Labour is 'keeping secret' number of illegal migrants in UK prisons

       Comments

       Britain could slap retaliatory taxes on Jack Daniel's and Levis if Donald Trump targets UK

       Comments

       England's beaches and rivers so polluted they're branded a 'national embarrassment'

       Comments

       Boris Johnson slams Britain's obese children as 'fatsos'

       Comments

       David Lammy issues key update on whether British troops will be sent to Ukraine

       Comments

       I'm an ex-Tory leader - Kemi Badenoch should bear this in mind about Donald Trump

       Comments

       Labour sent Brexit warning over fears of EU fishing ban U-turn

       Comments

       UK election map shows every seat Reform would win if bombshell petition succeeds

       Comments

       James Wallace, the CEO of River Action, said: “These results are an international embarrassment. The Government’s own data shows that swimming in our inland bathing sites poses serious health risks, highlighting the failure of regulators to protect waterways from polluters.”

       The proportion of sites failing to meet minimum standards in water quality and being rated as poor as a result has nearly doubled from 4.3% last year, and is the highest since the current rating system was introduced in 2015, while the percentage of “good” and “excellent” sites has fallen slightly.

       Don't miss... Feargal Sharkey joins protest to save Lake Windermere from sewage poison [LATEST]

       Officials said this is in part due to the existing water quality of 27 new bathing sites designated at the start of the season, which have previously not been managed for bathing before and 18 of which were rated poor in their first year of testing.

       Many of these new sites failing to make the grade are river waters, which campaigners say highlights how much pollution is being pumped into rivers and estuaries.

       Out of 450 bathing waters regularly tested for harmful bacteria, 91.8% met at least the minimum standards for clean water while 64.2% reached “excellent” standards, the figures show.

       Giles Bristow, chief executive of Surfers Against Sewage, said: "The bathing water classification regime isn't just inadequate, it's misleading and needs radical reform.

       “A regime with no testing in winter, no testing of chemical pollutants, and that discounts the worst pollution events, is no good for public health.

       “And government and water companies must never be allowed to wash their hands of locations which get a poor rating five years in a row.”

       The figures come amid a consultation on a shake-up of the system, including removing the fixed summer “season” to account for the rising trend in cold water swimming, expanding the definition of “bathers” to cover other water users such as surfers, and testing at multiple points of a site.

       Trending

       SUBSCRIBE Invalid email

       We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy

       Water Minister Emma Hardy said the figures were “unacceptable” and Environment Agency chairman Alan Lovell said they showed there was still much work to do to tackle pollution, while campaigners called for an overhaul of the system.

       Mr Lovell said: “While overall bathing water quality has improved in recent decades due to targeted investment and robust regulation, today’s results show there is much work still to do, particularly to bring our inland bathing waters up to standard.

       “We are working with the water industry, farmers and local authorities and are investing in our regulation, with more people on the ground, updated digital assets and new legal powers to improve our bathing waters for all.”

       DON'T MISS

       Powered by

       Britain could slap retaliatory taxes on Jack Daniel's and Levis if Donald Trump targets UK

       27 Comments

       England's beaches and rivers so polluted they're branded a 'national embarrassment'

       10 Comments

       Boris Johnson slams Britain's obese children as 'fatsos'

       273 Comments

       David Lammy issues key update on whether British troops will be sent to Ukraine

       194 Comments

       I'm an ex-Tory leader - Kemi Badenoch should bear this in mind about Donald Trump

       34 Comments

       Labour sent Brexit warning over fears of EU fishing ban U-turn

       292 Comments

       UK election map shows every seat Reform would win if bombshell petition succeeds

       724 Comments

       Rachel Reeves humiliated by business chief minutes after speaking at CBI conference

       976 Comments

       Farmers will be forced to sell farms to cover inheritance tax bills warns IFS

       103 Comments

       Labour's benefits plan blasted as they dodge 'difficult decisions'

       69 Comments

       Furious Labour civil war erupts over 'offensive' assisted dying row

       80 Comments

       Angela Rayner's flagship workers rights reform slammed by watchdog

       41 Comments

       Keir Starmer was ‘in shock' and ‘had no words' over election petition, says expert

       209 Comments

       Labour must prioritise global water crisis to fulfil manifesto pledge, warns charity boss

       40 Comments

       Thames Water in turmoil: Union warns government against ignoring financial 'car crash'

       6 Comments

       Tenerife in drought emergency crisis as tourists face paying more than locals for water

       4 Comments

       UK could fund winter fuel payments if it snubbed out illicit tobacco

       25 Comments

       UK's Japanese knotweed hotspots for 2024: Full list of 25 worst hit areas

       1 Comments

       New EU-UK 'reset' European bureaucrat will get paid ￡35k more than the Prime Minister

       1 Comments

       Furious Reform MP says Labour is 'keeping secret' number of illegal migrants in UK prisons

       1 Comments

       Britain could slap retaliatory taxes on Jack Daniel's and Levis if Donald Trump targets UK

       27 Comments

       England's beaches and rivers so polluted they're branded a 'national embarrassment'

       10 Comments

       Boris Johnson slams Britain's obese children as 'fatsos'

       273 Comments

       David Lammy issues key update on whether British troops will be sent to Ukraine

       194 Comments

       I'm an ex-Tory leader - Kemi Badenoch should bear this in mind about Donald Trump

       34 Comments

       Labour sent Brexit warning over fears of EU fishing ban U-turn

       292 Comments

       UK election map shows every seat Reform would win if bombshell petition succeeds

       724 Comments

       Rachel Reeves humiliated by business chief minutes after speaking at CBI conference

       976 Comments

       Farmers will be forced to sell farms to cover inheritance tax bills warns IFS

       103 Comments

       Labour's benefits plan blasted as they dodge 'difficult decisions'

       69 Comments

       Furious Labour civil war erupts over 'offensive' assisted dying row

       80 Comments

       Angela Rayner's flagship workers rights reform slammed by watchdog

       41 Comments

       Keir Starmer was ‘in shock' and ‘had no words' over election petition, says expert

       209 Comments

       Labour must prioritise global water crisis to fulfil manifesto pledge, warns charity boss

       40 Comments

       Thames Water in turmoil: Union warns government against ignoring financial 'car crash'

       6 Comments

       Tenerife in drought emergency crisis as tourists face paying more than locals for water

       4 Comments

       UK could fund winter fuel payments if it snubbed out illicit tobacco

       25 Comments

       UK's Japanese knotweed hotspots for 2024: Full list of 25 worst hit areas

       1 Comments

       New EU-UK 'reset' European bureaucrat will get paid ￡35k more than the Prime Minister

       1 Comments

       Furious Reform MP says Labour is 'keeping secret' number of illegal migrants in UK prisons

       1 Comments

       Britain could slap retaliatory taxes on Jack Daniel's and Levis if Donald Trump targets UK

       27 Comments

       England's beaches and rivers so polluted they're branded a 'national embarrassment'

       10 Comments

       Boris Johnson slams Britain's obese children as 'fatsos'

       273 Comments

       David Lammy issues key update on whether British troops will be sent to Ukraine

       194 Comments

       I'm an ex-Tory leader - Kemi Badenoch should bear this in mind about Donald Trump

       34 Comments

       Labour sent Brexit warning over fears of EU fishing ban U-turn

       292 Comments

       UK election map shows every seat Reform would win if bombshell petition succeeds

       724 Comments

       Ms Hardy said: “These figures are unacceptable and show that too many of our popular swimming spots are polluted.”

       She said the Government was putting water companies under special measures through the Water Bill, which would strengthen regulation of the industry, and has launched a major review of the water sector.