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England’s bathing waters among Europe’s most polluted, study warns
England’s swimming waters are now five times more likely to be polluted than those in the European Union, according to new research that raises concerns over declining environmental standards.
A study conducted by the campaign group Best for Britain revealed that only 64.2% of England’s bathing waters were rated "excellent" by the Environment Agency (EA) in 2024, compared to 85.4% in the EU, based on data from the European Environment Agency (EEA).
Even more concerning is that 8.4% of England’s bathing sites were classified as “poor” — meaning they failed to meet the minimum standards for safe swimming due to high levels of bacteria such as E. coli and intestinal enterococci. These contaminants can cause serious illness. By contrast, the EU average was just 1.5%, with Estonia having the highest share among EU members at 4.6%. Scotland (3.4%), Wales (1.8%), and Northern Ireland (0%) all performed better than England.
The UK currently adheres to the same water quality standards as EU countries through the 2013 Bathing Water Regulations, which mirror the EU's Bathing Water Directive. However, Best for Britain warns that many EU nations are enforcing these standards more rigorously.
Following Brexit, oversight of water quality fell under the UK’s Office for Environmental Protection, which recently reported that the UK is on course to miss water cleanliness targets it would have had to meet as an EU member.
The UK government is now planning a regulatory overhaul, including the replacement of Ofwat with a new “super regulator”, possibly altering how water quality is monitored.
Environmental experts fear that with lax enforcement and regulatory change, England may once again be labelled the “dirty man of Europe”, as concerns mount over pollution and public health.