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<p>Improving water quality is a Government priority and we are taking significant
action in this area for people and nature. The Environment Act sets a duty on the
Government to publish a storm overflow discharge reduction plan by September 2022.
This plan will address reducing the adverse impacts on public health of sewage discharges
from storm overflows.</p><p> </p><p>Where rivers are designated as Bathing Waters,
the Environment Agency monitors water quality and classifies bathing waters in line
with the health protective standards of the Bathing Water Regulations (2013) and publishes
an annual classification of Poor, Sufficient, Good or Excellent. It must also exercise
its pollution control powers to achieve at least Sufficient status. Currently there
is one river with designated Bathing Water Status, the River Wharfe at Ilkley. This
was monitored for the first time during the 2021 Bathing Water Season (15th May -
30th September). The classification result will be published in January 2022.</p><p>
</p><p>The Environment Agency publishes a profile for each designated Bathing Water
on its Swimfo website (<a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fenvironment.data.gov.uk%2Fbwq%2Fprofiles%2F&data=04%7C01%7Cpqteam%40defra.gov.uk%7C1e040dc5c12f4aa40e2a08d9b414538e%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C0%7C0%7C637738821650463871%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=MR0tYiJqoVNyibQ1QZ2fEd7KWyiE9OksQV9t4HnApvw%3D&reserved=0"
target="_blank">https://environment.data.gov.uk/bwq/profiles/</a>), which provides
water quality testing results, the annual classification and information on pollution
sources affecting each Bathing Water.</p><p> </p><p>The Environment Agency and the
UK Health Security Agency (formerly Public Health England) have published Swim Healthy
guidance on Gov.UK</p><p>(<a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fpublications%2Fswim-healthy-leaflet&data=04%7C01%7Cpqteam%40defra.gov.uk%7C1e040dc5c12f4aa40e2a08d9b414538e%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C0%7C0%7C637738821650473840%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=uUUnPQMioAo97dsU9AsLo006ynBg4tVDLy17%2B2g499U%3D&reserved=0"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/swim-healthy-leaflet</a>).</p>
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