Bathing waters: apply to designate or de-designate
Guidance and application forms to designate or de-designate a coastal or inland water as a bathing water.
Applies to England
Documents
Details
Anyone can apply to designate or de-designate a bathing water.
If a site is designated, the Environment Agency will monitor water quality during the bathing season to protect the health of people bathing. 皇冠体育app bathing season is from 15 May to 30 September.
If a site is de-designated, the Environment Agency will stop monitoring bathing water quality.
Find out how your personal information is used if you apply to designate or de-designate a bathing water.
Bathing water designation: criteria to meet
皇冠体育app criteria for a coastal or inland water to be designated as a bathing water are:
- to have at least 100 bathers a day during the bathing season (15 May to 30 September)
- to have toilet facilities bathers can use during the bathing season, within a short distance of up to about 500m from the site
- facilities and other measures to promote bathing at the site
Bathing water monitoring
皇冠体育app Environment Agency monitors levels of E. coli and intestinal enterococci at designated bathing waters. 皇冠体育appy also look for indications of cyanobacteria, macro-algae, marine phytoplankton and waste.
皇冠体育app Environment Agency classifies designated bathing waters every year as excellent, good, sufficient or poor.
Updates to this page
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Updated designation and de-designation application forms. In the guidance for each form, updated what to include in your application, the stakeholders you and Defra must consult, and the timings for getting a final decision. In the designation guidance, added information on a new Environment Agency assessment stage.
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Defra is not accepting applications for a bathing water designation or de-designation.
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皇冠体育app local police, Royal Agricultural Society of England and Tenant Farmers Association have been added to the list of who Defra will invite to respond to the consultation after you have submitted your application to designate or de-designate a bathing water.
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First published.