City swimmers call for river pollution checks

A swimming group has called for a stretch of river to be officially recognised by the government so that regular water quality checks can take place.

Members of the Cow Tower Dippers in Norwich have swum in the River Wensum on a weekly basis for the last three years.

They said they were applying to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) for it to be given "designated bathing water status", which would mean the quality would be monitored.

"People ask 'is it cold and is it clean?' We can answer the first, but we can't answer the second," said Pete Smith from the group.

According to Defra's criteria, designated bathing sites should be used by an average of at least 100 people every day between May and September, with toilet facilities nearby.

However, earlier this year, the government announced a review of its criteria and said it was "developing plans to expand the definition of 'bathers' to include participants in water sports other than swimming, such as paddle boarders and surfers".

The Environment Agency assesses the quality of water at designated sites.

Annual ratings are issued – ranging from poor to excellent – with "daily pollution risks" given for some sites.

Mr Smith said the Cow Tower Dippers formed on 1 January 2022 with just three members, but since then the group had grown, with dozens sometimes taking part in their Saturday morning swims.

"It's a community of people coming together loving the river," he said.

Wild swimming has grown in popularity in recent years, but no rivers in Norfolk are designated bathing water sites.

"We've got all these rivers and the broads, why aren't people recognising swimmers?" asked Mr Smith.

The Dippers' plan will be discussed by Norwich city councillors tonight, with a motion put forward by Green councillor Gary Champion calling for the authority to back their application.

"We need to be able to know what the pollution levels are in a river, to address them in a systematic and intelligent way."

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