If you paddleboard/kayak/canoe or swim in the River Wey, you should read the information below

This summer has seen a significant rise in the number of people immersing themselves in the River Wey, either by accident or intentionally! As a result, enquiries were made of the Environment Agency as to the quality of the water and the information below is what was provided by them. It was felt important that this information was shared so anyone using the water is able to make an informed decision about actually getting into the water itself.

From the Environment Agency:

Many coastal waters and a low number of inland lake and river sites known to be popular swimming locations are currently designated by the Government (Defra) as bathing waters. These designated bathing waters are monitored for bacteria and protected from sources of pollution known to be a risk to bathers’ health. The Environment Agency monitors the water quality of over 400 designated bathing waters in England between May and September, and each is given an annual classification of Excellent, Good, Sufficient or Poor. More information can be found about bathing waters on this link - Bathing water quality.

However, the vast majority of rivers and lakes are not designated as bathing waters, including the River Wey. These are managed for the purpose of protecting fish and wildlife, not people, so health risks from using these locations are higher than at designated bathing waters. These waters are also routinely monitored by the Environment Agency to assess and classify their environmental quality but they are not monitored for the types of bacteria which are used to assess designated bathing water quality. They can contain levels of sewage, faeces from livestock and pollution from farming or industry which would not be acceptable in designated bathing waters. Unless a site is designated by Defra as a bathing water we have no remit to monitor for water quality relating to public health risk. Public health is the responsibility of Public Health England and the Environmental Health department of the relevant Local Authority.

The Bathing Water Regulations set out the responsibilities of public bodies for each aspect of management of designated bathing waters:

  • The Secretary of State (Defra) is responsible for designating and de-designating bathing waters, providing guidance on how to implement the Regulations, preparing reports on bathing water seasons, and acting as an enforcer when local authorities fail to meet their duties.
  • The Environment Agency (EA) is responsible for monitoring, assessing and classifying designated bathing waters and providing bathing water profiles, as well as passing on information on bathing waters to public. The EA also has the responsibility to manage the quality of the water to meet the Regulations’ standards through pollution prevention measures.
  • Local Authorities are responsible for signage at designated bathing waters and the health of those who bathe there. They are also responsible for passing on information about pollution incidents at bathing waters to the public and to prevent people’s exposure to them.
  • Finally, it’s the responsibility of water companies to inform the Environment Agency and Local Authorities of any pollution incidents that take place at designated bathing waters.

We recognise the growing popularity in open water swimming, with many people enjoying wild swimming in rivers and lakes. Anyone can become unwell when swimming in open waters. To help reduce the risk of becoming ill, Public Health England and the Environment Agency offer advice in their ‘swim healthy’ guidance which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/swim-healthy-leaflet/swim-healthy.

The UK saw the first river site granted bathing water status by Defra at the end of 2020 and a second river site has recently been designated. There is currently a significant and growing interest from Government, the Environment Agency, water companies and the public in increasing the number of designated river bathing waters.