Last night, you might see some of Save Windermere’s work featured on Channel 4 News. We have just published part 1 of our blog series on Bathing Water. This piece primarily focuses on blue-green algae in Windermere, which is arguably the largest risk to people's health when swimming in the lake. We think Bathing Water Classifications are being used as a greenwashing tool by the EA and United Utilities. Part two of this series will delve into this in more detail.
The full investigation can be found here:
https://www.savewindermere.com/news/save-windermere-bathing-water-cyanobacteria
Some of our key findings include:
• Despite being designated as Excellent since 2017, the bathing water classification provided by the Environment Agency (EA) fails to accurately reflect the presence and potential toxicity of blue-green algae (BGA) blooms in the lake.
• We believe the EA is failing to meet the legal standards set by the Bathing Water legislation. The legislation specifically states “Where any bathing water profile indicates a potential for cyanobacterial proliferation, the appropriate agency must undertake appropriate monitoring at the bathing water at the frequency necessary to allow adequate management measures to be put in place in accordance with regulation.“ The EA takes a reactive approach to monitoring BGA in Windermere which we argue is not complying with this legislation.
• WHO recommendations stress the need for regular and proactive monitoring of cyanobacteria in bathing waters.
• EA's sampling methodology for BGA lacks rigour and fails to adequately assess toxicity levels.
• Lack of communication and transparency from the EA undermines public safety efforts during algal bloom events and further exacerbates the risk, as evidenced by the inadequate response to the extensive BGA bloom in the summer of 2022.
• In-depth analysis by independent internationally renowned algal expert reveals concerning levels of toxicity in Windermere's BGA blooms.
You can catch up on the channel4 piece on the link below:
https://www.channel4.com/programmes/channel-4-news/on-demand/76007-084