Clean Rivers for People and Wildlife
This campaign is encouraging members to make and support applications to create bathing waters in rivers across England and Wales as a way to drive the cleanup of our precious waters.
Herefordshire FederationWater quality in our rivers is shameful. Legally designated bathing waters must be regularly monitored for pollution. The NFWI urges its members, the wider public, local authorities, and Government to make, support and promote applications for officially designated bathing sites on appropriate stretches of rivers in their area. This will be instrumental to the clean-up of rivers as it has been for water quality improvement at coastal beaches.
Latest updates
Make a splash for clean rivers in your community by taking part in the WI’s Week of River Action from 11-18 September!
In May 2023, the WI launched its Clean Rivers campaign to clean up rivers and promote bathing water status as a way to achieve this. The WI has joined the River Action UK and signed its Charter for Rivers, calling on the government to commit to ambitious yet achievable actions for healthy rivers by 2030. This week (11 – 18 September) we are arranging the WI Week of River Action, to shout about the crisis in our rivers. From riverside picnics to craftivism, WI members across England and Wales are making a splash in their local communities to sound the alarm about the ecological state of the UK’s rivers.
Read more in our blog here.
How you can get involved
- Find out more information about how to apply for inland bathing water by using the Surfers Against Sewage’s ‘Wild Water’ website.
The website contains a useful nine-step guide that provides guidance about applying for a designated bathing water. You can also access the Surfers Against Sewage community bathing waters toolkit here.
- Find out about sewage pollution in rivers in your area
You can find out about the location of combined sewage outflows (CSOs) in your area by looking at the Rivers Trust Sewage Map.
Further resources
- Watch: NFWI Resolution Webinar, 12 April 2023
- Kirsty Davies, Community Bathing Water Officer at Surfers Against Sewage, spoke ahead of the 2023 Annual Meeting about Inland Bathing Water Designation.
- House of Lords Library - Sewage Pollution in England’s Waters
- River Action UK
- The Rivers Trust
- Find out more about the issue and how bathing waters can help drive the cleanup of rivers by reading our resolution briefing notes
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There are ways of joining and supporting the WI that are suitable for everyone. You can find out more here.