Bathing Water Status Announced for Sandy Lane, Chester

Today (Friday 15th May) the UK Government has announced 13 new bathing sites across England, one of which is the River Dee at Sandy Lane in Chester. This is a great step forward in protecting our local environment and recognising the importance of this section of river for the thousands of kayakers, swimmers, rowers, paddleboarders and other river users who head to the Dee every year.

What is bathing water status?

For those of you who haven't heard the term before, it may sound great while also being slightly confusing as to what it actually means. Bathing water designation is a legal classification that requires regular water quality monitoring during the official bathing season, which runs from 15 May to 30 September each year.

Importantly, this designation doesn't automatically mean the river has improved in quality, or that it won't have instances of poor water quality. Instead, it creates a system that allows water users to make informed choices about when to enter the water, while also giving campaigners and local groups additional evidence to hold water companies and authorities accountable if the river’s health does not improve over time.

What happens now?

Now that Sandy Lane has been granted bathing water status, the following will happen:

• The Environment Agency must carry out routine testing for bacteria linked to sewage and pollution.

• Water quality results will be published publicly.

• The site will receive an official annual rating of “Excellent”, “Good”, “Sufficient” or “Poor”.

• Authorities and water companies face greater scrutiny if pollution levels are poor.

The Government consultation documents released today acknowledge that water companies may need to carry out infrastructure improvements if bathing sites receive poor classifications.

Why this matters for Chester

For years, concerns about river pollution have grown across the UK, including along the River Dee. Local groups including the Clean Dee Campaign and Chester Frosties have spent years gathering evidence and lobbying for official recognition. An earlier application in 2023 failed after changes to government criteria meant campaigners could not demonstrate enough recorded bathers. A renewed push last year led to today’s successful designation.

Higher water quality standards could also benefit wildlife and ecosystems along the Dee, which already has special environmental protections because it supplies drinking water and supports sensitive habitats. Increased monitoring should help identify pollution hotspots and improve long-term river management.

Ben Seal, Head of Access & Environment at Paddle UK, said:  

The designation of these 13 new bathing sites, is another positive step forward in protecting our precious waters. For the millions of people who love being in, on, and beside the water, access to safe, regularly monitored blue space is vital. This expansion ensures that more communities can be better informed when choosing where and when to access the water. Furthermore, the overwhelming public demand for these new designated sites just proves how passionate the public is about being and being active in blue spaces.  Together, the increase in designated bathing water sites and the Clean Water Bill represent a historic opportunity to secure healthy, pollution-free waters for everyone to enjoy.

Impact for paddlers

For us, we are excited to see how this new status will improve our river and get more people out on the water. It will hopefully give us greater confidence to paddle the Dee, with access to up-to-date water quality reporting and clearer information about when to take extra precautions if the quality does dip.

We're very excited to see this news and look forward to seeing more people on the river this summer. For full information please visit the GOV.UK website.