New rules to be introduced for open water swimming in Wales and England

The UK and Welsh governments are introducing new bathing water rules, the first update in over a decade as part of the government’s plans to clean up waterways.

Changes include removing fixed season dates from regulations and plans to expand legal definition of ‘bather’ to include water sports.

The government is developing plans to expand the definition of ‘bathers’ to include participants in water sports other than swimming, such as paddle boarders and surfers.

The news comes as the government confirms applications for new bathing waters in England and Wales will re-open in May, the start of the 2025 bathing water season .

Prospective sites will be assessed against the government’s newly reformed standards, set to become law later this year.

Water Minister Emma Hardy said:

“Bathing water sites are the pride of local communities across the country.

“But safety and cleanliness is paramount, and we must go further and faster to open up our waterways for families to enjoy.

“The Government is upgrading outdated regulations so they are fit for purpose. It is also why we are re-opening applications for new bathing sites in England, so that more people have the opportunity to experience the benefits of our beautiful waters.”

Wales’s Deputy First Minister, with responsibility for Climate Change Huw Irranca-Davies added:

“Wales is home to some of the most beautiful bathing waters in Europe and we are committed to ensuring they remain safe, sustainable, and accessible for future generations.

“These reforms mark an important step forward and, by modernising how we manage our bathing waters, we can strengthen protections in a way that means these natural spaces can still be enjoyed safely.”

Key reforms will include:

• Further considering a site’s feasibility to improve, public safety and environmental considerations when applications for new bathing waters are assessed.
• Removing fixed bathing season dates (which currently runs from May to September) from the regulations to allow for a more flexible approach to monitoring, and to better reflect when people use bathing waters.
• Ending the automatic de-designation of bathing water status after 5 consecutive years of a site being rated ‘poor’, which can damage local tourism and businesses. Instead, underperforming sites will be individually reviewed by regulators, taking into account their unique circumstances.

The UK Government says that following a public consultation, members of the public, environmental groups, farmers, businesses and local authorities showed "clear support for modernising bathing water regulations".

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