Useful links & digital resources

Explore our list of useful links to help your application, from government agencies to information on sewage data. Filter the results by resource type using the filters below.

  •
    Welsh Government: Fontygary Bay Bathing Water Consultation

    Guidance on water hazards to support informed and safe wild swimming.

  • RLSS™ guidance on open water safety

    Royal Life Saving Society guidance on safe open water recreation and drowning prevention.

  • Outdoor Swimming Society: swimming safely

    Guidance on water hazards to support informed and safe wild swimming.

  • Swim England Open Water

    Official safety, skills and participation guidance for open water swimming.

  • Mental Health Swims

    Community-led supportive swims promoting wellbeing, confidence and safe water access.

  • PaddleUK: Go Paddling

    Find paddling routes, safety guidance and environmental information for UK waterways.

  • The Bluetits

    Community of dippers and cold water swimmers, with groups across the UK supporting inclusive cold water swimming and water safety awareness.

  • The Angling Trust

    Information on angling, river conservation and campaigns to improve water environments.

  • They Work For You

    Review MPs' voting records and statements on environmental and water quality legislation.

  • UK Parliament

    Search MPs and parliamentary activity related to environmental and water policy.

  • River Lim Action Group

    Community work to improve River Lim water quality and protect local biodiversity.

  • Wild About The Erme River

    Protecting the River Erme through education, monitoring and responsible recreational access.

  • Shropshire Bathing Waters

    The community establishing safe designated river bathing areas in Shropshire.

  • Friends of the Dart

    Environmental group on the River Dart, supporting river protection, public education and water quality action.

  • Thames 21: Oxford River Project

    Community action and monitoring to reduce sewage and restore Thames catchment river quality.

  • Windrush Against Sewage Pollution

    Community-led monitoring and reporting to address sewage pollution in the River Windrush and beyond.

  • Ilkley Clean River Group

    The campaign group improving water quality and promoting safe river use in Yorkshire and beyond

  • The Wildlife Trusts

    Learn about UK wildlife protection, river habitat restoration and community nature projects.

  • WildFish

    Information on protecting river ecosystems and improving water quality for wildlife and people.

  • Who Owns England? Land ownership map

    Explore mapped land ownership to support environmental transparency and land-use research.

  • Search for land and property information

    Search detailed property and land ownership records for planning and environmental research.

  • Land Registry

    Find official land ownership and boundary information for England and Wales.

  • SEPA (Scotland Bathing Waters & Profiles)

    View bathing water classifications and monitoring results across Scotland.

  • DAERA (Northern Ireland Bathing Waters & Profiles)

    Access Northern Ireland bathing water status reports and environmental profiles.

  • Environment Agency (England Bathing Waters & Profiles)

    Review real-time bathing water quality data and historical environmental information for England.

  • Welsh Government Bathing Water information

    Official information on Welsh water policy, environmental protection and bathing water management.

  • Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)

    Information on Scotland's environmental protection, water quality and rural policy.

  • Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA)

    Information on Northern Ireland environmental protection, water quality and rural policy.

  • Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA)

    Government information on UK environmental regulation, water quality policy and river health.

  • Map of Public Toilets UK

    Locate public toilets nationwide to support bathing water applications

  • River swimming guidance & routes | Imogen River Swims

    Find river swim locations, safety advice and route information for responsible access.

  • Wild Swim Groups: The UK List

    Discover local wild swimming groups to support safe, informed and community-led outdoor swimming.

  • The Outdoor Swimming Society Inland Access Guide

    Find guidance on legal and safe access to inland swimming areas across the UK, plus guidance on creating bathing waters

  • Recreational Water Usage Map

    Access data on where people use water to better understand recreational water activity

  • Top of the Poops Sewage Spill Data

    Analyse UK sewage spill data to understand pollution frequency, sources and river health impacts.

  • DAERA: About bathing waters

    How bathing water quality is tested in Northern Ireland, including sampling for faecal indicator bacteria and visual assessments for pollution.

  • Designation of bathing waters: application form

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

  • The Quality of Bathing Water (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2013

    A regulation amending the Quality of Bathing Water Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008 to align with EU standards.

  • 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.

  • DAERA: Northern Ireland’s existing bathing waters

    Detailed profiles for each of Northern Ireland's designated bathing waters, including physical characteristics and pollution risk assessments.

  • The Bathing Waters (Scotland) Regulations 2008

    A regulation establishing requirements for bathing water quality in Scotland, including monitoring, classification, signage, and public information.

  • List of Scotland’s current bathing water profiles

    A searchable directory of Scotland’s designated bathing waters, providing current water quality classifications and sample results.

  • SEPA guidance on bathing water designation

    A page detailing how to propose a water site in Scotland for bathing water designation, including criteria, supporting information, and the annual review process.

  • NI Bathing Water Quality Dashboard

    This dashboard provides water quality results for the 33 designated bathing waters across Northern Ireland.

  • SAS Citizen Science data

    SAS's interactive map showing real-time sewage overflows and their spill history in the UK.

  • Live sewage map and CSO spill history

    SAS's interactive map showing real-time sewage overflows and their spill history in the UK.

  • Report pollution in Scotland

    SEPA’s 24-hour hotline to report pollution, waste or other environmental incidents across Scotland.

  • Report pollution in Wales

    Phone hotline & web form to report pollution, waste and river damage in Wales.

  • Report pollution in England

    Official UK portal to report pollution, flooding, damage or illegal activities harming nature & environment.

  • The Rivers Trust Sewage Map

    The Rivers Trust map of pollution incidents and catchment projects.

  • Find your local council

    Enter your postcode to locate your council website & services in England, Wales, Scotland & NI.

  • Submit a sickness report

    Have you been sick after jumping in? Tell us here and help us evidence the human impact of sewage pollution.

  • Safer Seas and River Service

    Check if there are sewage alerts at your local bathing water, to see if it's safe to jump in.

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