The latest Environment Agency annual assessment has found that all officially designated wild swimming spots in the West Midlands have received the lowest possible water quality rating. This finding highlights significant concerns for wild swimmers in the area as the region’s popular bathing sites fall short of acceptable water quality standards.
According to the Environment Agency, around one in every 14 officially recognised bathing sites across England was rated as having poor water quality in the most recent evaluation. This follows a pattern of mostly positive ratings nationwide, where the vast majority of sites are considered excellent (66%) or good (21%) quality.
The Environment Agency assesses these designated bathing sites each year, assigning one of four water quality classifications: excellent, good, sufficient, or poor. While most locations score well, the West Midlands notably saw all its wild swimming spots rated poorly in this year’s review.
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Specifically, sites along the River Severn at Shrewsbury and Ironbridge, as well as the River Teme in Ludlow, were rated as having poor water quality. These sites are among 32 bathing spots nationwide that received the lowest possible rating, many of which are inland sites including others in the West Midlands.
Additional sites with poor scores include Derwent Water in the Lake District; several rivers in Yorkshire, such as the River Nidd in Knaresborough, the Wharfe in Ilkley and Wetherby; and the River Ribble at Edisford Bridge in Lancashire. Further areas with poor water quality ratings span from Sheep’s Green on the River Cam in Cambridge to Wolvercote Mill Stream in Oxford, and beyond.
In contrast to England’s mixed results, bathing sites in Wales demonstrate a generally higher water quality, with only two of the 112 official Welsh bathing spots, Watch House Bay and Ogmore-By-Sea (both in the Vale of Glamorgan), rated as poor.
As heatwaves are forecast to return following a brief cool period, awareness of water quality rankings is crucial for public health, encouraging swimmers to make informed choices about where to swim. An interactive map is available for the public to check the ratings of their nearest bathing spots.