But what does Bathing Water status achieve for Derwent Water?
Jodie Mills, West Cumbria Rivers Trust
It’s been a week since we screened an exclusive preview of a film to celebrate our successful application for Derwent Water in Keswick to gain Bathing Water status, but I’ve been pondering what it means and where we go from here.
We had 75 people show up to a lovely feature length film (Rave on the Avon) about a community in Bristol fighting to protect their beloved river.
Charlotte Sawyer’s film was gloriously shot, impactful and deeply emotional. If you haven’t seen it, it’s one to look out for on general release later this year. It documented what the river meant to people; how it healed them, nourished them, took them out of themselves and their everyday worries and gave them joy, how it brought people together and cemented a community in love and appreciation. Those people were fighting for their river to be monitored for pollution to ensure that they know what’s in it when they choose to swim.
While achieving Bathing Water Status doesn’t immediately change anything, the data that it provides will help fuel the drive for change; without it we’re in the dark, unable to leverage the necessary pressure to ‘the powers that be’ to invest in cleaning up our rivers. I don’t want to spoil the film if you haven’t seen it, but despite every political party in their council voicing support for their campaign, and extraordinary community support, they have not (yet) been successful in their endeavour. Despite the many setbacks however, the group has been screening the film in Bristol as part of their campaign to show how important and loved the river is to those who want to protect it, and their campaign continues.
“For as long as we’ve been here, rivers have been crucial to our survival”
For as long as we’ve been here, rivers have been crucial to our survival, they have provided everything essential to life, and that connection is hardwired into our brains. The benefits we feel when we are beside water are immeasurable and, I believe, are key to healthier, happier communities. A cornerstone of our mission at WCRT is to foster these relationships.
“We have seen one borderline/poor result for the water quality in Derwent Water, but this needs further investigation”
Jodie Mills, Director of West Cumbria Rivers Trust
Our application for Bathing Water status was approved for Derwent Water on 13 May and now the Environment Agency will monitor the water quality at Crow Park during the bathing water season (15 May until the end of September). Whilst the Bathing Water has been designated, it hasn’t yet been classified. This happens once they have collected 20 samples over the first season. So far we have seen one borderline/poor result which the EA will investigate further by looking at trends with the weather and environmental DNA samples. This will give them a clearer picture on what the results mean before officially classifying the water quality. In the meantime, I would personally recommend heads up swimming only, and washing hands thoroughly after swimming in the bay. The increased data that the EA will now routinely collect will help us all to understand how healthy the water is for us all to swim in. Armed with that data, investigations can be made by the appropriate authorities to identify problems and hopefully work towards solutions.
Here at WCRT we are working with stakeholders and will monitor the situation closely and keep everyone updated as the results build a picture of the health of the lake. If advice is issued against bathing, it will be displayed on Swimfo (view link below) and on signs on the site at Crow Park. We know that our community of swimmers and lake lovers want our blue spaces to be healthy, not just for people to enjoy, but for the wildlife that depends on them. Our waterways are in a dire state and we have to do better. Monitoring is a key part of the picture to healthier rivers.
This is the first Bathing Water site that we have achieved in our catchment, but we want it to be the first of many, however Defra are revising their Bathing Water strategy and not accepting any more applications this year, so watch this space!
With thanks to Sustainable Keswick, the National Trust and Alhambra cinema, Keswick.
Where do you like to bathe in West Cumbria?
We’d love to hear from you about where you like to regularly swim in West Cumbria. Let us know your favourite spots and any that you think should be official Bathing Waters. If you have been ill after swimming in our waters in West Cumbria, please report it to us as it helps to strengthen the case for action.
Useful links for swimmers
Learn more about swimming healthy outdoors: here
Monitor future water quality results of designated Bathing Water sites at: Swimfo
Learn more about how the EA monitors and tests bathing water quality: here
View live storm overflow data directly from: United Utilities
View historical data form The Rivers Trust’s: sewage map
Learn how best to report pollution incidents in a river from: The Rivers Trust