Guidance

Bathing waters: apply to designate or de-designate

Guidance and application forms to designate or de-designate a coastal or inland water as a bathing water.

From:
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
Published
3 July 2023
Last updated
1514 May 20252026 — See all updates

Applies to England

Documents

Designate a bathing water: guidance on how to apply

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Designate a bathing water: application form

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De-designate a bathing water: guidance on how to apply

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De-designate a bathing water: application form

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Details

Anyone can apply to designate or de-designate a bathing water.

If a site is designated, the Environment Agency will monitor water quality during the bathing season to protect the health of people bathing. The bathing season is from 15 May to 30 September.

If a site is de-designated, the Environment Agency will stop monitoring bathing water quality.

Find out how your personal information is used if you apply to designate or de-designate a bathing water.

Bathing water designation: criteria to meet

The criteria for a coastal or inland water to be designated as a bathing water are:

  • to have at least 100 bathers a day during the bathing season (15 May to 30 September)
  • to have toilet facilities bathers can use during the bathing season, within a short distance of up to about 500m from the site
  • facilities and other measures to promote bathing at the site

Bathing water monitoring

The Environment Agency monitors levels of E. coli and intestinal enterococci at designated bathing waters. They also look for indications of cyanobacteria, macro-algae, marine phytoplankton and waste.

The Environment Agency classifies designated bathing waters every year as excellent, good, sufficient or poor.

Updates to this page

Published 3 July 2023
Last updated 1514 May 20252026 + show all updates

  2. Updated designation and de-designation application forms. In the guidance for each form, updated what to include in your application, the stakeholders you and Defra must consult, and the timings for getting a final decision. In the designation guidance, added information on a new Environment Agency assessment stage.

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