Image: A man paddleboarding. Image by Kampus Production / Pexels.

In March, the government announced reforms which it says will modernise “outdated” regulations around bathing water quality, and will “keep pace with Britain’s love of swimming”. The system for monitoring the more than 550 designated, outdoor, swimming sites in England and Wales will be updated for the first time since 2013 following a public consultation.

However, Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) has taken the first formal step toward challenging proposed changes to water quality regulations that they believe could have serious consequences for swimmers, paddlers, and other river and beach users across the UK.

SAS have sent a pre-action protocol letter to Steve Reed, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in response to proposed reforms that they believe would weaken protections for outdoor bathing waters, and risks leaving spots unmonitored, unprotected, and potentially unsafe.

SAS have stated they believe the government’s approach prioritises cost-cutting over public health and environmental protection. The government’s own Office for Environment Protection (OEP) has warned that any guidance on feasibility should be statutory and subject to public consultation, but SAS say this has not happened.

SAS are now “calling on the Secretary of State to pause the reforms and respond properly to the concerns that have been put forward – ensuring that any decisions made are based on evidence, transparency, and public interest.” If this does not happen, they say they are prepared to escalate their legal action by launching a judicial review challenge.