Nation-specific guidance

Wales’ wild waters

The Severn, the Wye, the Usk. The Teifi, the Taff, the Tywi. Brecon’s canals, Llyn Tegid. The surf of Porthcawl or Rhossili. Anglesey, the Llŷn Peninsula. We could go on.

Wales’ incredible waterways are part of national identity, and vital to community wellbeing, biodiversity and recreation. But beneath the surface, Welsh waters are under pressure. According to Natural Resources Wales (NRW), only 44% of rivers in Wales meet “good” ecological status. And we recorded 118,276 sewage spills by Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water in 2024 – that’s more than one every five minutes, and the highest of any UK water company.

Yet the full picture still remains murky. While real-time sewage alerts are available for some locations, many Welsh waters are still unmonitored, especially when it comes to pollution from agriculture or urban runoff.

Out of 109 designated bathing waters in Wales, only two are inland: Llyn Padarn in Gwynedd, and The Warren in Hay on Wye. That leaves many popular wild swim spots with no official data, no pollution alerts and no protections.

You can change that by applying to get your local waterway officially designated as a bathing water.

First, find out if where you swim is a bathing water. If not, see how to apply below.

Applying for bathing water status

In Wales, applications are submitted to Natural Resources Wales. Here’s what’s involved:

Who can apply?

Anyone! Individuals, swim groups, community organisations, campaigners or local authorities.

What’s the criteria?

To be suitable for designation, a site must fit the following criteria:

  1. A large number of people is expected to bathe there during the bathing season. A large number is considered to be 50 a day, but there is some discretion
  2. No permanent advice against bathing has been introduced
  3. The site isn’t a swimming pool, spa, confined water or used for therapy, or artificially created confined waters that are separated from surface water or groundwater
How to apply

To apply for designation, you need to fill out an application form.

As part of the form and process, you’ll need to show that the site is used frequently for bathing during the summer, and provide evidence like photos, usage logs or survey data.

This means you and your community will need to:

  • Survey number of bathers over 20 days
  • Audit facilities close to bathing site
  • Consult with community to gauge whether they support application
  • Engage with the local authority and/or landowner

We can support you with every step of the process with our dedicated toolkit. Dive in here.

When to apply?

You’ll need to submit your proposal form by email to water@gov.wales by 31 October for consideration for designation the following year.

Timelines

Between June and October, you gather evidence and submit your completed application by 31 October. You’ll receive an acknowledgement via letter or email from the Welsh Government.

The Welsh Government assesses all applications.

  • If your application meets the designation criteria, the Welsh Government will launch a public consultation to gather views.
  • If your application does not meet the criteria, you will be notified and given the reasons for rejection by letter or email.
  • In some cases, your application may be held, and the Welsh Government may request additional information or evidence.

If your application was held and further detail was requested, a final decision will be made by 31 October of the same year.

For accepted applications, a final designation decision will be published alongside a summary of consultation responses ahead of the next bathing season (which starts 15 May).

If the application is declined, the Welsh Government will notify you with an explanation. You may re-apply the following year if circumstances change or more evidence becomes available.
What happens next?

If your site is designated, NRW will monitor water quality at the location from 15 May to 30 September each year – the official bathing season in Wales. Weekly results are made public, and at season’s end, the site receives one of four classifications: Excellent, Good, Sufficient, Poor.

If a site receives a Poor classification, under the Bathing Water Regulations 2013, Natural Resources Wales must:

  • Investigate and address the sources of pollution
  • Take steps to reduce public health risks
  • Notify local authorities and require them to issue public warnings
  • Display clear signage on site if bathing is not advised

In cases of short-term pollution events (like sewage spills or agricultural runoff):

  • NRW must update the public bathing water profile with incident info
  • They notify local authorities immediately when pollution is detected or predicted
  • Additional water samples are collected to confirm safety before data reporting resumes

Local authorities and landowners also play a part. They’re responsible for:

  • Installing and maintaining clear signage
  • Managing the area to remove visible pollution
  • Reporting risks to NRW and taking swift action to protect the public

Key dates

31 October: Application Deadline

15 May – 30 September: Bathing Season in Wales

Useful links

  • Designation of bathing waters: application form

    A downloadable form to submit a site for consideration for bathing water designation in Wales.

  • The Bathing Water Regulations 2013

    Standards for water quality at designated bathing sites, including monitoring and classification based on E. coli and intestinal enterococci levels.

  • Find a bathing water: Natural Resources Wales

    A searchable directory of designated bathing waters in Wales, providing water quality assessments, pollution forecasts, and site-specific information.

  • Designating bathing waters in Wales: guidance note

    A set of questions to help you decide whether to apply for a bathing water designation in Wales.

resources

Useful links & websites

Submission checklist

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