New Depths: England's Swimming Waters Five Times Worse Than EU's

More than five times as many English bathing waters are rated poor quality, compared to in the European Union (EU), research by Best for Britain has revealed.

Bathing water quality in England - and across the four nations of the United Kingdom - is notably worse than the EU average, data analysis has shown.

Just 64.2% of England’s bathing waters were rated excellent by the Environment Agency (EA) in 2024, compared to 85.4% of the EU’s, according to the European Environment Agency (EEA) in the same year.

England also had the highest percentage (8.2%) of sites rated poor out of the UK’s four nations and the EU: with Scotland on 3.4%, Wales on 1.8% and the EU on just 1.5%. Northern Ireland had no bathing water sites rated poor.

Campaigners have repeatedly highlighted the impact of water pollution in causing environmental damage to rivers, lakes and seas, affecting coastal economies and communities, poisoning wildlife and causing swimmers to fall sick.

In its landmark 2023 report, The UK Trade and Business Commission (UKTBC) recommended that: “The UK Government should ensure that we maintain - or where we choose, to exceed - current EU standards on consumer protection, air and water quality, and health and safety protection for workers and consumers.”

However, while the same standards apply in the EU and the UK for areas to achieve bathing water status, the EU has far cleaner waters overall thanks to more stringent enforcement of the existing water quality and sewage treatment regulations.

The EU has since gone further than the UK in updating its urban wastewater rules, with some water having to undergo even more stringent ‘quaternary’ treatment to remove micropollutants - such as from chemicals, pharmaceuticals and pesticides. This will not apply in the UK and is an example of passive divergence from EU environmental regulations post-Brexit.

Recent polling by More in Common shows that cleaning up Britain’s waterways is a unifying issue for more than nine in 10 Brits, regardless of their voting intention. Asked in April 2025, some 95% of people across the UK said reducing sewage spills was very or somewhat important to them. Just four and one respectively said it was not very important or shouldn’t be a priority.

While 73% of Labour and Reform UK [intended] voters said the issue was very important, suggesting that this is an area where the government can appeal to Reform-curious Brits.

Best for Britain is calling on the UK government to properly implement and enforce existing water quality laws, and keep pace with the EU’s increased higher standards on micropollutants.

Naomi Smith, Chief Executive of Best for Britain, said:
“People are rightly appalled by the disgusting state of the UK’s rivers, lakes and beaches. Clean water should be guaranteed to all, and no one should have to risk their or their child’s health simply by enjoying a swim or paddle on a sunny day.

“Once again, when it comes to environmental regulation, enforcement and protecting people’s health, the European Union leads the charge. This is yet more evidence ministers must properly implement and enforce existing standards - and keep pace as the EU raises the bar in ways that can tangibly benefit millions, as our polling shows voters expect.”

Amy Fairman, Head of Campaigns at River Action, said:
“This analysis confirms what bathers and river lovers already know: UK waters are in crisis. Polluting‐for‐profit water companies, industrial‐scale agriculture, and toothless regulation have failed people and nature alike.

“The Independent Water Commission was right to call for Ofwat’s replacement – but only real power, enforcement, and accountability will fix a broken system. It’s outrageous that the UK now sits amongst the worst performing countries for water quality in Europe – and unless we act, we’ll return to our shameful position as the ‘dirty man of Europe’.”

Melissa Green, Chief Executive of the National Federation of Women’s Institutes (NFWI), which began campaigning on river pollution in 1936, said:
“The WI has campaigned on water quality for almost a century, and we’re desperately disappointed to have to still be fighting. From sewage and industrial agriculture run-off, to microplastics - our rivers are in a terrible state.

“We are pleased that the government is finally reviewing bathing water regulations, but concerned that the changes may be heading in the wrong direction. Proposed feasibility tests for new bathing water designations could exclude many sites simply because they’re too polluted, unfairly punishing communities for historic pollution instead of addressing the cause of the problem now.

“To tackle pollution we need better enforcement of the rules, and properly funded regulators to end the relentless harm to our precious waterways.”

Dame Glenys Stacey, Chair of the Office for Environment Protection (OEP), which replaced the EU in its water quality watchdog role but cannot impose fines, said last year:
“We have found that, while the relevant law here is broadly sound, it is simply not being implemented effectively.

“This means it is not delivering as intended and, as a consequence, most of our open water is likely to remain in a poor state in the years ahead unless things change. This is deeply concerning.”

Ben Reynolds, from the Institute for European Environment Policy UK (IEEP UK), recently told the Guardian:
“Standards in the UK are no longer keeping track and are falling behind.

“With the dire state of river pollution in this country, in part due to sewage, the UK should be looking hard at all options to tackle this, and keeping track with these higher standards alongside smarter investment and more resources for enforcement."