Communities across England are set to gain safer, cleaner places to swim as the government proposes 13 new designated bathing waters, a move that could

transform how people enjoy their local rivers and beaches.

Announcing the plans, Water Minister Emma Hardy said the new sites would give communities greater confidence to enjoy the waterways they treasure, while highlighting how far water quality has improved in recent decades.

Among the proposals is a landmark first: an officially designated bathing spot on the River Thames in London. Once declared “biologically dead” in the 1950s, the Thames has undergone a dramatic recovery and is now being recognised as a river fit for recreation and national pride.

If approved, the new sites would bring the total number of designated bathing waters in England to 464, opening up more opportunities for people to swim, spend time with family and reconnect with nature. The move comes as part of a wider government push to improve water quality, with four in five existing bathing waters currently rated “good” or “excellent”.

After years in which few new bathing sites were designated during the 2010s, ministers say they are now moving quickly to expand the network and respond to the growing popularity of outdoor swimming. A six-week public consultation has been launched, inviting local people to comment on the 13 proposed river and coastal locations already popular with swimmers.

Designation can bring benefits well beyond cleaner water. Local leaders often point to boosts in tourism, stronger community pride and greater protection for wildlife in much-loved rivers and beaches.

Emma Hardy said rivers and beaches sit “at the heart of so many communities”, adding that the plans show how the government is backing local ambition while delivering what it describes as generational reform of the water system to cut pollution and restore rivers, lakes and seas.

Environmental groups have also welcomed the announcement. Thames21, which has worked with volunteers and citizen scientists to support the proposed Pangbourne Meadows site, said the designations would benefit swimmers, wildlife and the wider river community alike.

Other proposed bathing waters would mark firsts for counties such as Berkshire — an area famously associated with ‘The Wind in the Willows’ — and Cheshire, where organised bathing traditions date back to Roman times.

The consultation follows applications submitted in 2025 and forms part of a broader effort to give communities more say in how their local environments are protected and enjoyed. Planned reforms aim to modernise the bathing water system so it better reflects how people actually use rivers, lakes and beaches today.

Following the consultation, ministers will review feedback before confirming which sites will be officially designated ahead of the 2026 bathing water season. Last year, 93% of England’s bathing waters met acceptable standards for swimming, and new Bathing Water Regulation reforms introduced in November 2025 are designed to move away from a “one-size-fits-all” approach to water quality management. Photo by Diliff, Wikimedia commons.