A HAMPSHIRE river has been rated poor in a 2024 assessment by the Environment Agency.

River Avon at Fordingbridge, a new designation site, was rated poor in an environmental investigation.

In May 2024, Fordingbridge Avon Bathers (FAB) managed to get the river Avon at Fordingbridge Recreation Ground named as an official bathing water.

There are various reasons as to why the bathing quality was rated poor and the Environment Agency is committed to improving water quality at new and existing sites.

The number of bathing waters rated poor jumped as a series of newly designated sites were monitored for the first time, including River Avon.

Jim Flory, area environment manager for the Environment Agency, said: “It is too easy to point the finger of blame solely at water companies or farmers.

“The unpopular truth is the sources of deterioration are often many. There are no quick fixes.

“New bathing waters came from massive community effort. It will take the same levels of commitment and effort to raise them to the minimum standard expected by the public and beyond.” 

A noticeable difference in water quality was picked up by monitoring during the last season of sampling which affects existing bathing waters. Boscombe Pier in Bournemouth rose from ‘Good’ to ‘Excellent’. 

River Action chief executive James Wallace said the results were an “international embarrassment.

 “The Government’s own data shows that swimming in our inland bathing sites poses serious health risks, highlighting the failure of regulators to protect waterways from polluters.

“Awarding bathing water status should ensure that water companies clean up their act urgently,” he said, calling for all bathing sites to have an automatic change to permits requiring water companies to remove bacteria and other pollutants such as “forever chemicals” known as PFAS and drugs.

Giles Bristow, chief executive of Surfers Against Sewage, said the bathing water classification regime “isn’t just inadequate, it’s misleading and needs radical reform”.

 “The consultation to reform the regulations is vital and must deliver a year-round bathing season, with year-round testing.

“We need multiple monitoring points and testing for a wide range of pollutants.”