Environment Agency restarts onsite bathing water sampling

The Environment Agency has resumed sampling at bathing water sites, now Covid 19 lockdown restrictions have been\

eased.

In its latest classifications for over 400 designated bathing waters in England the agency said it had continued to maintain the quality of bathing waters, including pollution prevention measures such as ensuring that permitted discharges do not affect water quality, through the lockdown. It added that the resumption of onsite monitoring will ensure trends in bathing water quality are spotted and useful data provided to the public this summer.

The agency said bathing water quality in England remained high with 98.3% of bathing waters passing the minimum standard in 2019, with 71% of these classified as "excellent".