THE RATINGS
Most waters met the standard in 2025
Of 449 bathing waters measured in England in 2025, 417 (92.9%) met at least the minimum standard and 297 (66.1%) were rated Excellent.
See the numbersOn a hot day, the sea or a lake costs nothing to enjoy.
England has hundreds of designated bathing waters, from seaside beaches to lakes and river stretches. Each one is sampled for bacteria and given a rating every year. Knowing what the rating means, and that water can change from day to day, helps you choose where and when to swim.
- Four ratings, four years
- Rain can change the day
- Check before you go
- Plain facts for a cool swim
THE SHORT ANSWER
Mostly clean,
but check first.
Most designated waters meet the standard.
The rating and the day's forecast tell you more.
THE SAMPLES
Two bacteria, four years of results
The Environment Agency tests for E. coli and intestinal enterococci, bacteria that point to faecal pollution. Each year's rating uses samples from the last four seasons.
What each rating means
ON THE DAY
Rain can lower quality for a while
At some sites, daily pollution risk forecasts warn when rainfall, tides or wind are likely to make the water temporarily worse.
How to check
FOUR STEPS BEFORE A DIP
A cooler swim,
a clearer choice.
None of these costs anything. They take a minute on your phone or a look at the sign by the water.
Look up the site's rating
GOV.UK's bathing water service shows the rating and profile for each designated beach, lake and river stretch in England.
Read the sign at the water
Designated bathing waters display their rating on signs from May. A Poor rating comes with advice against bathing.
Check for a risk warning
Where forecasts run, a pollution risk warning flags days when water quality is likely to be temporarily lower, often after heavy rain.
Think about recent rain
Rain washes bacteria from the land into streams and the sea. Where no forecast runs, heavy rain is still worth bearing in mind.
TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING
How England's
waters scored.
One figure for the best waters,
one for those that fell short.
66.1%
Bathing waters rated Excellent
297 of the 449 bathing waters measured in England in 2025 met the Excellent standard, up from 64.2% the year before. The results cover samples taken from 2022 to 2025.
2025 RESULTS · DEFRA
32
Bathing waters rated Poor
32 bathing waters, 7.1% of those measured, did not meet the minimum standard in 2025. The number rated Poor dropped slightly from the previous year.
2025 RESULTS · DEFRA
Water quality varies with weather and with pollution from farming, towns and storm overflows, among other things (Defra 2025 statistics). England has 451 designated bathing waters; two were not assessed in 2025.
A QUICK RATING CHECK
What does
the sign mean?
Pick a rating or warning you might see on a beach or lakeside sign. The bar shows how much caution it calls for compared with the others.
Thresholds are for coastal waters and are 95th percentile values, except Sufficient, which uses the 90th percentile. Inland limits are higher.
HOW A RATING IS MADE
Many samples,
one rating.
The Environment Agency takes up to twenty samples at each designated bathing water between May and September. No single sample passes or fails. Instead, four years of results are combined into a percentile, which estimates how likely high readings are.
The rules are changing. Reforms announced in March 2025 plan to count paddle boarders and surfers as bathers, to add more monitoring points at each site and to remove fixed season dates from the regulations, so monitoring can better match when people use the water.
In conversation
Questions people ask
What is a designated bathing water?
A beach, lake or river stretch in England that is officially monitored for water quality. England has 451, and 449 were measured in 2025.
What do the tests look for?
Two bacteria, E. coli and intestinal enterococci. They indicate faecal matter, which can come from sewage, livestock, wildlife, birds and road drainage.
Does a Poor rating mean the beach is closed?
No. A sign advising against bathing must be displayed the following year, but the beach stays open for people to enjoy.
Why can water quality change from day to day?
Rainfall can wash bacteria from the land into the water, and tides, wind and sunlight all affect levels. Pollution risk forecasts at some sites warn when quality is likely to dip.
How many bathing waters were rated Excellent in 2025?
297 of 449, or 66.1%. In total, 417 waters, 92.9%, met at least the minimum Sufficient standard.
Sources
Each figure on this page comes from the sources below.
- Defra: 2025 statistics on English coastal and inland bathing waters (GOV.UK)
- Environment Agency: Bathing Water Quality, help understanding the data
- legislation.gov.uk: The Bathing Water Regulations 2013, Schedule 5 (classification)
- Defra press release: Bathing water reforms keep pace with Britain's love of swimming (12 March 2025)
- GOV.UK: Check the quality of beach and bathing water in England