It was great to be part of the national BBC Breakfast and BBC Radio York coverage for this morning’s Defra announcement of 27 new bathing water designations. Our Project Manager for River Enhancement, Sarah Lonsdale was one of the key spokes people for the newly designated section of the River Nidd at the Lido leisure park in Knaresborough, along with David Clayden from the Nidd Action Group and Andrew Jones MP, with whom we have been working hard to support the application for bathing water status.
Sarah said: “Designated Bathing Waters are the only places in the UK where bacteria levels in open water are monitored by the Environment Agency (EA) and the data published for the public to see. The new designation doesn’t confirm that the River Nidd is safe to swim in − we shall officially find out in September when the EA reveal the results of their monitoring − although currently citizen science testing does reveal unnaturally high concentrations of harmful bacteria. This designation is however a positive step forward in protecting the river, ensuring increased monitoring by the EA and tighter regulations for water companies to reduce sewage pollution.
“Unpolluted water for people and wildlife won’t happen overnight, but over time we will hopefully see cleaner waters, with people more aware of the condition of the river and able to make informed decisions when going swimming.
“The next steps for us at YDRT will include further investigations into the sources of identified pollution along with the development of collaborative nature-based solutions for restoring the river and water quality with the new iNidd Steering Group.”
Sources of river pollution include combined sewage outlets (CSOs), surface water runoff from roads, agricultural runoff and septic tanks. Following this morning’s designation, the Lido site will now be tested by the EA on a regular basis with x30 samples taken over the May to September bathing season, measuring the concentration of two types of bacteria that can cause stomach upsets: E. coli and intestinal enterococci, both of which usually get into water from sewage and animal manure. These bacteria are generally un-harmful to aquatic life, but are useful indicators of other pollution e.g. if there is high concentrations of E. coli, there is likely to be high concentrations of pollutants like phosphates and ammonia in the river too.
If a Bathing Water is classified as ‘poor’, an ‘advice against bathing’ symbol must be put up on site and online, along with information about pollution sources and what action is being taken to clean it up. This doesn’t mean you can’t swim – the sites remain open – but there might be an increased risk of getting ill.
To find out more England’s designated bathing water sites visit Swimfo
You can see the clip from the BBC Breakfast here and listen to the interview on Radio York here.
