Bathing Water Regulations 2013

{{short description|UK law on bathing places}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox UK legislation

| short_title = Bathing Water Regulations 2013

| type = Statutory Instrument

| parliament = Parliament of the United Kingdom

| year = 2013

| citation = SI 2013/1675

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In England the Bathing Water Regulations 2013 is a statutory instrument defining water suitable for bathing (in the sense of recreational swimming and paddling), other than swimming pools and similar places.{{cite web |title=The Bathing Water Regulations 2013 |url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/1675/regulation/3/made |website=legislation.gov.uk |access-date=22 December 2020}} An annual list of bathing places is produced.{{cite web |title=List of current bathing waters (2020 bathing season) |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bathing-waters-list-of-designated-waters-in-england/list-of-current-bathing-waters-2019-bathing-season |website=GOV.UK |access-date=22 December 2020 |language=en}} The water must pass water quality standards set by the Environment Agency.{{cite web |title=Bathing Water Quality |url=https://environment.data.gov.uk/bwq/profiles/help-understanding-data.html |website=environment.data.gov.uk |publisher=Environment Agency |access-date=22 December 2020}}

In December 2020 it was announced that a stretch of the River Wharfe at Ilkley in West Yorkshire would become the first river bathing place to be added to the list, which hitherto included coastal sites and lakes.{{cite news |last1=Laville |first1=Sandra |title=Yorkshire swimming spot to get bathing water status in UK first |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/22/yorkshire-river-wharfe-ilkley-bathing-water-status-uk-first |access-date=22 December 2020 |work=The Guardian |date=22 December 2020 |language=en}}