Concerns Raised Over Pollution at New Bathing Site
A campaigner advocating for clean waterways has expressed concerns about potential pollution risks, even after the government granted bathing status to a section of the River Thames.
Last week, the stream at Pangbourne Meadow was designated as one of 13 new official swimming locations across the UK.
James Wallace, representing River Action, emphasized that the safety of the site depends on various factors, including pollution levels in the River Pang, which flows into the Thames upstream of Pangbourne.
Thames Water stated it will "continue to work closely with the Environment Agency to understand our impact at the locations and where upgrades to our assets may be needed."
Wallace advised swimmers to exercise caution when using Pangbourne Meadow for bathing.
"The River Pang suffers from very high levels of pollution and if there's been a discharge (there) in the last few days that might affect people's health," he said.
"You have to be careful and check there hasn't been any sewage discharge on the day or soon before and you should be fine but there will always be a baseline level of pollution.
My advice would be to keep your head out of the water and don't go in it if you have any open wounds," he added.
The newly granted bathing status requires the Environment Agency (EA) to conduct water quality testing between May and September and to publish the results publicly.
Any poor water quality results would prompt investigations to identify pollution sources and implement corrective measures.
In 2022, a stretch of the River Thames at Port Meadow, Oxford, received bathing water status, followed by Wallingford in 2024.
Bathing waters by local authority area in England are listed externally by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra).
