Warning to not 'take the plunge' straight away as Lake District sites given bathing water status
Derwent and Coniston both benefit from the new status.
Coniston and Derwent have been designated as bathing waters ahead of the summer and will immediately benefit from regular water quality monitoring, Water Minister Robbie Moore has announced.
According to the Government's website 27 new bathing water sites will be designated ahead of the 2024 bathing water season, which runs between 15 May and 30 September. The new sites will take the total number of bathing waters to 451 across England – the highest number to date.
The Environment Agency regularly monitors water quality at designated bathing water sites and assesses whether action is needed to cut pollution levels – working with local communities, farmers, and water companies to improve water quality at these locations.
The government's website said: "The government will also launch a consultation later this year on proposals to reform the Bathing Water Regulations for England. The proposed changes will drive work to improve bathing water quality, enhance monitoring and enable more flexibility around the dates of the bathing water monitoring season. For example, proposals will include increasing monitoring outside of the bathing water season and preventing automatic de-designation of existing bathing water sites.
"Defra will also seek public and stakeholder views on extending the definition of ‘bathers’ to include a wider range of water users in addition to swimmers – such as rowers, kayakers and paddle boarders."
However people are being urged to not just take the plunge without making sure they have the right skills to enter the water.
Diane Mangan is a wild swimming instructor in the lake district, she said: "You need to take advice and really know what you are doing.
"Not all water is good for swimming. Take things like reservoirs, they are no good for swimming.
"You need to know where to swim and one of the number one things is 'don't swim along'.
"You need to be a competent swimmer and know the basics like floating, treading water and be comfortable in the water. You need to know your own ability. In the lake district it's also very hard to estimate how far a distance is when looking to swim it.
"If you want to swim to a little island you might think it's only 50 metres and you can do that in a pool. You haven't taken into account what it feels like to be out in the middle of the lake.
"What's the weather conditions doing? Is the wind pushing you out, well when you swim back your going to be swimming against the wind."