Thousands of brave individuals will participate in the traditional Boxing Day swim in freezing seas and rivers while many are still recovering from the Christmas festivities. The government’s ongoing efforts to reform the water system have shown significant progress, with 93% of bathing waters meeting swimming standards according to recent Environment Agency results.
Changes in bathing water monitoring rules have made the system more adaptable to people’s swimming habits, with the Water (Special Measures) Act enforcing strict regulations, including criminal liability for concealing illegal sewage spills. The act also prevents unfair bonuses, leading to a substantial reduction in bonuses for water executives.
Plans are underway to implement automatic penalties for water companies to ensure swift consequences for any violations. The Environment Agency’s budget for water regulation has been increased to £189 million for 2025/26, facilitating more inspections and investigations into water companies.
Recent improvements include doubling compensation rates and introducing compensation for boil notices to protect customers and businesses affected by water company failures. The government aims to instill confidence in people to swim in local waters by allocating £104 billion for vital infrastructure upgrades over the next five years and proposing a new single water regulator in the upcoming Water White Paper.
While progress has been made, more work lies ahead to further enhance water quality and safety for all water activities.