Bathing water quality at Wallingford improves
The government has published its classifications on bathing water sites around the country.
Water quality at a river bathing spot in Oxfordshire has officially improved since last year.
The government has published its classifications on bathing water sites around the country - including the River Thames at Wallingford.
The spot near the town’s bridge which was designated an official bathing water site in May last year, has been rated as ‘sufficient’ - up from ‘poor’ last year.
The Environment Agency regularly tests the water at designated Bathing Water sites such as Wallingford throughout the official bathing season. The results of the tests are published on the Wallingford Bathing Water website so river users can check the water quality.
South Oxfordshire District Council’s River Thames Champion, Cllr Jo Robb said, “While this classification is an improvement on last year which is to be celebrated, a rating of ‘sufficient’ means there is still a lot to do to reach ‘excellent’ where the water is clean and of the highest quality.
“The bathing area at Wallingford is impacted by what flows from upstream. There is a large catchment area upstream Wallingford Beach, which includes sewage treatment works as well as rivers and streams that receive runoff from both urban and rural areas. We are relying on the Environment Agency and Thames Water working together to identify sources of pollution and take action to eliminate these, for the good of all river users and our wildlife.”
Aggie Hodges, Bathing Water Development Officer for Thames21, said: “It’s great news for both people and wildlife that Wallingford Beach has achieved ‘sufficient’ bathing water status this season. With only one other inland river site rated above ‘Poor’ this year, the result highlights the significant challenges facing England’s rivers and the importance of this progress on the Thames at Wallingford. We hope to see further improvements in water quality and for Wallingford to demonstrate that healthy rivers are within reach.”