Bathing water designation-What it means
At Friends of the Dart, we’re committed to protecting and improving the health of the River. Applying for Bathing Water Designation is one way to make the system work for the River, instead of the polluters.
Following huge community, business and organisational support we were awarded four Community Bathing Sites and four DEFRA-designated Bathing Waters along the Dart. This designation isn’t a safety badge—it’s a regulatory mechanism. When a site is officially designated, the Environment Agency is required to test the water regularly for two key types of bacteria: E. coli and enterococci.
If the water quality is rated as “poor,” as it currently is at Steamer Quay, this triggers a legal obligation for further action: polluters must be identified and consulted, investigations are carried out, and steps must be taken to raise the standard. These investigations are now well under way at Steamer Quay and we will keep you updated as this develops. When a site is proven to be “poor”, the government then has five years to ensure the site meets the required quality.
That’s why we applied. We wanted to activate this process—to use what tools exist to instigate real improvement.
A Designation Is Not a Guarantee of Safety
It’s important to know: a bathing designation doesn’t mean it’s safe to swim. It means the water is being tested mid May to End Sept by the Environment agency..
We don’t want people to stop swimming or engaging with the River. But we do encourage careful and informed interaction: don’t swallow the water, avoid entering with open wounds, and be extra mindful after heavy rainfall. For humans, exposure is brief. For River wildlife, it’s constant. The impact is deeper and more damaging.
What the Current System Doesn’t Catch
Right now, the Environment Agency only tests for E. coli and enterococci. It does not test for toxic chemicals, pharmaceuticals, or other pathogens routinely at bathing sites—even though these are present and can have long-term effects on both people and ecosystems. There’s still so much we don’t know, and the current testing framework doesn’t cover the full picture. It is important to note that based on our testing results and the results of other agencies it is clear that all four designated sites on the Dart would be classified as poor if year round results were taken into account.
A Response Already Underway
In response to the pressure that comes with a formal bathing designation, South West Water pre-empted the official investigation by announcing infrastructure updates to 16 different assets along the River. This is the kind of action we hoped to catalyse—demonstrating how community advocacy and formal mechanisms can work together to prompt systemic change.
Staying With the River
Even when the results are disappointing, we stay in contact with the River. Swimmers, kayakers, dog walkers, are all an enormous part of this pressure for improvement. Without so many members of the community engaging with the River, there would not be the impetus to update the system and improve the health of our waterways.
This process is part of a broader effort to bring the health of the Dart into public awareness and official accountability. The designation isn’t the end goal—it’s a lever for change. It brings the issues to light and puts pressure on polluters and policymakers.
The River is still ours to care for. We remain committed to her and to the wildlife she supports.
We are working on gathering the information that our communities need to understand what updates are scheduled, what exactly is planned and when this will be completed. The template we now use for communication with South West Water is available here.
The Environment agency test results can be found on the Swimfo page and through the site links below.