Part of the River Thames could become the first stretch to get alerts to say whether it is safe for bathing. As the open swimming trend booms, Port Meadow in Oxford could pave the way for other areas to follow suit.
Given to the people of Oxford more than a thousands years ago when the freemen of the city helped fend off Aldred the Great, the site has been many things over the years. In its time, it has been a racetrack, a wartime aerodrome, and even a Bronze Age burial ground.
And, according to The Times, it is now set to make another little bit of history, as wild swimmers have called for changes to how hundreds of stretches of river and monitored. Port Meadow appears to be on course to be the first part of the Thames where the authorities will issue alerts on whether the water is fit for bathing.
Spurred by pool closures during the successive coronavirus lockdowns, wild swimming has seen a boost in popularity. The increase in the number of swimmers has seen more pressure on how river quality is monitored.
The project, which will be overseen by the Rivers Trust, has seen members of the public identify 273 sites that are popular for bathing, and where they want to be informed, in real-time, about sewage spills. Dozens have said they would be interested in applying for bathing status for their rivers.
It would mean the water is tested regularly by the Environment Agency for potentially harmful bacteria between May 15 and September 30 each year. Should the water quality be deemed 'poor', the public would not be advised to swim in it.
At least 13 groups across England are already preparing applications. Port Meadow leads the pack having lodged its request last year for a spot known as Wolvercote Mill Stream. A decision is expected in the coming weeks.
Should it be successful, it would be only the second designated bathing site on a river in England and Wales. The first, on the River Wharfe in Ilkley, was announced in December 2020.
Julian Cooper is the Port Meadow ranger, responsible for conservation. “It’s a floodplain meadow very much in the heart of the city,” he said. The river banks are shallow, the landscape idyllic. “As a result of lockdown, the number of people bathing all year round has massively increased,” he told The Times.
Michelle Walker, technical director at the Rivers Trust, told the Times newcomers frequently end up horrified when they learn how often raw sewage is discharged into English waterways. Around 400,000 times in 2020.
Bathing status cannot guarantee the water is safe or clean. Richard Aylard, sustainability director at Thames Water, said: "“There are always going to be hazards in an open environment, whether it’s bacteria or viruses, or boats or strong currents or submerged vegetation."
However, Ms Walker argues regular testing can show up patterns in pollution. “It creates a path to fix the problems,” she said.
Awarding bathing status to seaside beaches had already led to improvements, she said. Along the coastline, 98 per cent of designated bathing waters meet minimum water quality standards under the present testing regime, up from only 27 per cent meeting the equivalent standard in the 1990s.
