All of Lincolnshire’s bathing waters rated ‘Good’ and ‘Excellent’ for 10th year in a row

It is Anglian Water’s best set of results for water quality by the Environment Agency since new bathing water regulations came into effect in 2015, climbing from 90 per cent ‘Good’ or ‘Excellent’ ratings in 2024 to 96.3 per cent this year.

Since the current classification system started in 2015, all the coastal bathing sites in Lincolnshire have been rated Excellent or Good. And since being designated as Bathing Water Sites in 2023, the two sites in Rutland have also been consistently Excellent or Good.

Many factors outside water company operations – including agriculture, tides and ecological factors such as algal blooms – can impact bathing water quality on the coast. Similarly, inland bathing water sites can often be impacted by lack of dilution, agricultural activity and road runoff, among other factors.

These results are based on the last four years of testing by the Environment Agency which monitors for indicators of pollution known to be associated with risks to bathers’ health, specifically E. coli and intestinal enterococci.The latest announcement, following the end of the May-September bathing season, comes after Anglian Water announced in May that it would be ringfencing more than £80 million of investment to improve bathing water quality across its region between now and 2030.

Dr Robin Price, Director of Environment, Quality and Assurance for Anglian Water, said: “We know that our coast is hugely important to our customers, as well as being a vital part of our tourism economy.”

He added: “There are lots of factors that can impact bathing water quality – not just our operations, but also agriculture, other industries, and local wildlife too. But we know we have an important role to play in supporting tourism and enjoyment of our region’s coastline, and we’re committed to working with other agencies to continue to improve our region’s bathing spots. That’s why we’ve already kicked off a £31.3 million investment programme to protect and improve our region’s bathing waters between now and the end of the decade.

Further investment, also currently in planning, includes specific studies to identify potential sources of poor water quality at some of the region’s bathing spots. This work will be supported by a further potential £56 million of additional funding from 2027, which will be put into schemes to protect and enhance water quality. Alan Lovell, chair of the Environment Agency, said: “Bathing water quality in England has improved significantly over recent decades, and this year’s results show the continued impact of strong regulation, investment and partnership working.”

Alongside the annual classifications, the government’s new Bathing Water Regulation reforms came into force on November 21 to more closely reflect how people use beaches, lakes and rivers.

Defra and the Environment Agency are encouraging people to use Swimfo, the EA’s online service providing the latest information on bathing water quality and incidents, helping the public make informed decisions about where and when to swim.