Bathing water bid aims to reduce river pollution

A bid for official bathing water status has been submitted at a city park.

For Love Of Water (FLOW) CIC, Extinction Rebellion Salisbury and the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust are among the groups that have teamed up on the application at Queen Elizabeth Gardens in Salisbury.

Di Cross from Extinction Rebellion Salisbury said securing the status would "force" the Environment Agency (EA) to monitor the quality of the River Avon and this could be used "as a stick" to tell water companies if pollution reaches a level that "isn't acceptable".

A Defra spokesperson said: "If a site is designated, the Environment Agency will monitor water quality at the site to protect the health of people bathing."

Di Cross, of Extinction Rebellion Salisbury, is part of the application for bathing water status

Surfers Against Sewage funded 12 months of weekly water testing as part of the application.

For it to be successful, the application also requires evidence of how many people use the river and accessible public toilets.

Mike d'Apice from Extinction Rebellion Salisbury said: "It's possible the site could be designated as early as next spring."

He conducted the testing which identified faecal indicator organisms, (Intestinal Enterococci and Escherichia coli).

E.Coli results ranged from low to high and results for Intestinal Enterococci would be classed as 'poor' under bathing water regulations.

'Rarest habitats'

Di Cross from Extinction Rebellion Salisbury said this was a "major health issue".

After an area is given bathing water status, the EA will regularly test the water and the results are made public.

Ms Cross said this meant "everybody using the water can have some idea as to whether its safe".

She said: "This designation will force the EA to keep an eye on what is going on."

Ms Cross said pollution also affected animals and habitat.

"Salisbury is renowned for its five rivers, the chalk streams, we have some of the rarest habitats in the world - we should be looking after them," she added.

FLOW CIC recently held an information evening to update the public on its plans

A part of the River Avon at Fordingbridge was given bathing water status in May 2024 after a successful application by FLOW CIC.

This means that the public are updated about the quality of the water via signs at the site and through the FLOW CIC website.

The area is regularly used by wild swimmers including Francesca Hough, who suspected she was poisoned by river pollution when she was in "a lot of pain with my skin".

"If it wasn't for the bathing water status and me being able to make an informed decision I think I would have stopped wild swimming altogether."

A part of the River Avon at Fordingbridge was given bathing water status in May

A Defra spokesperson said anyone could apply to designate an area as bathing water.

"Throughout the season, which runs from 15 May until the end of September, the Environment Agency took more than 7,000 samples at 451 designated bathing waters across England.

"Classifications are shown on Swimfo and on signs at the site to inform bathers of typical quality."