Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has to broaden the definition of bathers within the relevant regulations to include a broader range of recreational water users.

The Department is working on a response to the Independent Water Commission’s final recommendations through a White Paper and a new water reform bill, bringing forward root and branch reform to secure better outcomes for customers, investors and the environment and restore trust and accountability. The recommendations intend to cut pollution and restore our rivers, lakes and seas, including those used recreationally, to good health for future generations.

The Environment Agency also has an active Research and Development programme exploring innovative contamination detection at bathing waters. It also participates with other UK and international agencies on the development of analytical techniques, with the aim of improving water quality in blue spaces.

In the November – December 2024 consultation on bathing water reforms, we asked respondents about wider reforms including the expansion of the definition of ‘bathers’ to include other water users.

The Government’s response, published in March 2025, noted a clear majority of respondents either agreed or strongly agreed with the proposal to expand the definition, with many suggesting which water users to include.

The Department is now exploring how to gather evidence to deliver this reform, considering which users to include and how to set safe classification levels for all. The timeline for detailed policy development will depend on this scoping work. Defra will engage with local and national stakeholders as work progresses and welcomes any information they can provide.