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Water: Standards

Asked by Catherine WestLabourDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled Answered 8 September 2026UIN 26075

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to improve the quality of water for recreational use.

Answered by Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The Clean Water Bill will deliver cleaner rivers, lakes, and seas by providing the legislative tools to ensure targets are ambitious, enabling pre-pipe solutions to reduce spills, and consolidating and strengthening agricultural pollution rules.

The Public Health Water Taskforce, a scientific and technical advisory group with expertise in public health and water, will provide independent advice to Government on public health risks associated with recreational water quality and opportunities for mitigation. This work will inform future policy.

The EA has action plans in place to identify and deliver cross-sector improvements where bathing water quality is not meeting satisfactory standards.

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