IN ACTION Environment
Sea change L
A year of progress for The Clean Water Sports Alliance
ast year, the RYA joined six other national governing bodies to unite over the issue of
water pollution and form the Clean Water Sports Alliance (CWSA). The task was clear: healthy and nature-rich spaces for us all to enjoy. One year on and the Alliance now represents 11 sports. It has engaged with water companies, shared collective data and met ˠ˜˜˦˧˘˥˦ ˔˗ ˙Ѓ˖˜˔˦ ˧ ˘˦˨˥˘ that plans for the industry meet the demands of the millions of recreational water users that they represent.
Bathing water commitment England and Wales have over 550 ˕˔˧˛˜˚ ˔˧˘˥˦ʡ ʴ ˦˜˚˜Ѓ˖˔˧ success for the Alliance came in March when the government committed to modernising and reforming the rules for bathing waters. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will work closely with the
Environment Agency to ensure the new measures are carried out ˘˙˙˘˖˧˜˩˘ʡ ˇ˛˘ ˥˘˙˥ˠ˦ ˧˛˘ Ѓ˥˦˧ ˦˜˖˘ ʥʣʤʦ ˖˨˗ ˦˘˘ ˧˛˘ ˗˘Ѓ˜˧˜ of ‘bather’ broadened to include people in other watersports for the Ѓ˥˦˧ ˧˜ˠ˘ʡ ˅˘˖˥˘˔˧˜˔ ˔˧˘˥ users, such as sailors, paddlers, surfers and rowers, will now also ˕˘˘Ѓ˧ ˙˥ˠ ˕˘˧˧˘˥ water quality, something the RYA and our partners in the Alliance have been campaigning for. Other measures
include banning bonuses for bosses of polluting water companies through the Water (Special Measures) Act and using customer money for vital infrastructure projects. The government is also
reopening applications for new bathing sites in England, where water quality and public health will
be prioritised. They’ll be assessed against the government’s newly reformed standards, set to become law later this year. It’s proposed that multiple monitoring points at each bathing water ˖˔˧˜ ˕˘ ˜˧˥˗˨˖˘˗ ˔˗ Ѓ˘˗ season dates be removed from regulations. Phil Horton, RYA Environment
and Sustainability Manager, speaking on behalf of the CWSA, said: ‘For the water sports community, the commitment to modernising our outdated bathing water regulations is encouraging. We’re pleased that with these new reforms, the government recognises the
diversity of where, when and how the public wish to
enjoy blue spaces. We hope this announcement [will help] turn the tide on pollution and give more people an opportunity to access cleaner, safer waters for their enjoyment.’ For more information about the Clean Water Sports Alliance visit
www.rya.org.uk
rya.org.uk SUMMER 2025 35
Photo: Alamy
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