- Record numbers expected to holiday at home this summer
- Visitors urged to ‘know before you go’ to blue spaces
- Check water quality before taking the plunge
Staycationers are being urged to become #WaterWarriors and make the right choices when visiting beaches, rivers and lakes this summer in a new Environment Agency campaign launched today.
Record numbers are expected to holiday at home due to ongoing coronavirus uncertainties, with an estimated 30 million people expected to visit our beaches (source: RNLI), and still more visiting rivers and lakes across the country.
Many will flock to popular English beaches and lakes designated as bathing waters to swim and enjoy the country’s blue spaces.
Visitors are being encouraged to ‘know before you go’ by checking the Environment Agency’s Swimfo website, which provides instant, easy access to information on over 400 bathing waters in England, including the latest water quality classification – and, for some bathing waters, when warnings are issued due to the temporary effects on water quality after a rainy day or high tides. Having this information at the fingertips ensures people have the most up-to-date information before they take the plunge.
Joint advice with Public Health England is also available on open water swimming – that’s swimming anywhere that isn’t a public pool – at Swim healthy.
Staycationers are also being encouraged to consider how their actions, whether at home or on holiday, can affect water quality and to remember a few simple actions they can take to protect blue spaces for everyone:
- only flush the 3Ps – pee, poo and paper
- never pour fats and oils down the sink
- never flush wet wipes and sanitary products down the loo
- always take your rubbish away from the beach
- always bag and bin your dog’s poo
- never pour waste liquids or throw litter down surface water drains
Sally Harvey, Deputy Director, Environment Agency, Kent, East Sussex & South London Area, said:
The stunning county that is Kent will see more people than ever taking a staycation and enjoying time in and around our blue spaces, be it beaches, rivers or lakes this summer; it’s vital to know how we can all protect them.
As the environmental regulator, the Environment Agency plays a key role in protecting and enhancing blue spaces, but it’s important to remember that individual actions really do count. Small actions in the home or at holiday accommodation can have a damaging impact on water quality. Wet wipes, kitchen towels, sanitary products, fats, oil and grease don’t belong down the drain, but are still found in huge quantities, leading to build-up, blockages and poor water quality.
Although the standard of bathing water quality in England is very high, it is always a good idea to check the water quality and whether any pollution warnings are in force. We want people to use the water safely, be aware of the risks and seek the right advice before taking the plunge.
We’re calling on people to check the Swimfo site for bathing water quality and follow #WaterWarriors on our social media channels.
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