{"id":423684,"date":"2026-02-13T13:51:11","date_gmt":"2026-02-13T13:51:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/423684\/"},"modified":"2026-02-13T13:51:11","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T13:51:11","slug":"would-you-swim-in-the-thames-bathers-will-be-able-to-take-a-dip-from-may-but-pollution-levels-could-vary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/423684\/","title":{"rendered":"Would YOU swim in the Thames? Bathers will be able to take a dip from May – but pollution levels could vary"},"content":{"rendered":"

By ALESIA FIDDLER – TRAVEL REPORTER<\/a> <\/p>\n

Published: 06:23 EST, 13 February 2026 | Updated: 06:26 EST, 13 February 2026 <\/p>\n

Open water swimming is becoming increasingly popular.<\/p>\n

And now there are 13 proposed designated bathing spots to open across England in May – and one of them, Ham and Kingston, is on the River Thames.<\/p>\n

It is set to become the capital’s first river bathing site on the major river.<\/p>\n

However, pollution levels in the area could vary and regular tests will determine if the water is safe for use.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Water between the Royal canoe club and where the Kingston parkrun is held will be checked for E. coli<\/a> and other bacteria.<\/p>\n

It will be classified as excellent, good, sufficient or poor to determine how safe the water is for swimming in.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A ‘poor’ result will mean swimmers will be advised to stay away from the water.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Previous tests completed by locals have produced a range of results from ‘excellent’ at times to ones that would fail.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Amongst <\/p>\n

Amongst the 13 proposed designated bathing spots being considered across England, one of them is on the River Thames<\/p>\n

\"London <\/p>\n

London locals see the possible Ham and Kingston bathing site (pictured) as a ‘celebration’ of the river and hope it will lead it to being a ‘place for recreation’<\/p>\n

Local resident and founder of Outdoor Swimming magazine Simon Griffiths told The Times<\/a>: ‘We know it can be excellent here but we also know that it can be very bad, particularly after a heavy rainstorm and we get the storm overflows [which release sewage spills].<\/p>\n

‘If it\u2019s not meeting bathing water standards, then we can identify what is causing the problem and hopefully take some action to fix it.’<\/p>\n

Ham and Kingston is one of 13 bathing areas that are being considered across England before opening in May.<\/p>\n

Some of the other potential sites are Little Shore, Amble, Northumberland, Canvey Island Foreshore, Essex, and River Dee at Sandy Lane, in Chester.<\/p>\n

London locals see the possible Ham and Kingston bathing site as a ‘celebration’ of the river and hope it will lead it to being a ‘place for recreation’ instead of somewhere to dispose of sewage.<\/p>\n

In 1957, the Thames was so polluted it was declared ‘biologically dead’ by the Natural History Museum.<\/p>\n

The Thames has come a long way since then and research by the Zoological Society of London in 2021<\/a> found\u00a0an increase in a range of bird species, marine mammals and natural habitats such as carbon-capturing saltmarsh \u2013 a crucial habitat for a range of wildlife.<\/p>\n

But the study also revealed the impact of climate change and temperature rises, as well as plastic waste and litter.<\/p>\n

\"However, <\/p>\n

However, pollution levels in the area could vary and regular tests will determine if the water is safe for use<\/p>\n

Just last year, a\u00a0group of\u00a0Olympic and world-class swimmers were forced to halt a swim raising awareness of river pollution<\/a> after they found raw sewage in the water.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Athletes from across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland<\/a> set off on the Thames Swim Against Sewage in a bid to highlight the crisis affecting the UK’s waterways.<\/p>\n

The challenge saw eight swimmers take part in a\u00a0200km nonstop relay down the River Thames, from\u00a0Lechlade to Westminster.\u00a0<\/p>\n

However, when they arrived at Henley, the group was forced to stop the swim after readings showed there was a dangerous amount of harmful bacteria such as E. coli<\/a> in the water caused by overflowing raw sewage.<\/p>\n

The pollution concerns meant the swimmers had to skip about 15 kilometres of the route, while a young boy, who had patiently been waiting for his family to join in with the swim, also had his hopes crushed.<\/p>\n

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