England’s latest bathing water classifications show continued progress in coastal and inland water quality, with the Environment Agency reporting that 87% of sites achieved an Excellent or Good rating in 2025. The annual assessment, covering 449 designated bathing waters, reflects long-term improvements driven by regulation, investment and closer collaboration with local partners.
This year, 417 sites (93%) met at least the Sufficient standard, a slight increase on 2024. The number of waters achieving the top Excellent rating rose to 297, up from 289 last year, while the number classified as Poor fell from 37 to 32. The results draw on four years of monitoring data for E. coli and intestinal enterococci, indicators of pollution that can affect swimmer health.
Water quality pressures remain site-specific, ranging from storm overflows and agricultural runoff to wildlife and local infrastructure issues. Targeted action continues at priority locations. Goring beach in West Sussex illustrates the impact of partnership-led interventions: coordinated sampling, awareness efforts, and fixes to misconnections supported its improvement to a Good classification in 2025.
The publication of the annual classifications coincides with the introduction of updated Bathing Water Regulations on 21 November. The reforms are designed to create a more adaptive management framework that better aligns with how people use England’s rivers, lakes and coastlines. Key changes include ending the previous automatic de-designation rule after five consecutive Poor results, allowing regulators to focus on realistic remediation options. Flexibility on monitoring dates has also been introduced so sampling schedules can reflect the specific bathing seasons of individual sites. A further reform updating designation criteria is due in May 2026.
Defra and the Environment Agency continue to encourage swimmers to check real-time information via the EA’s Swimfo service, supporting informed choices about when and where to enter the water as efforts to improve waterway health progress.
