Wallingford Beach gets green light to become the second designated bathing site along the Thames, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, UK - 15 May 2024

Local swimming groups, members of the Henley Mermaids including Laura Reineke, and councillors at the designated site. Wallingford Beach gets green light to become the second designated bathing site along the Thames. Defra has announced that a stretch of the River Thames at Wallingford Beach will officially become a designated bathing water, joining a total of 27 other bathing sites across the country. Environmental charity Thames21 submitted an application to Defra in October 2023, which drew widespread support in both local and national consultations, making Wallingford Beach the second designated bathing water site on the Thames after Wolvercote Mill in Oxford. Bathing water designation will now lead to Wallingford Beach being tested weekly by the Environment Agency during the bathing season (May to September). Results will be displayed onsite and allow swimmers and other river users to make informed choices about how to safely enjoy the Thames at Wallingford. Designation also puts pressure on Thames Water to investigate and address poor water quality to ensure the site meets bathing water standards. This will be of benefit not only to the many people who use and love the river, but also to the overall health of the river ecosystem. As part of the process of designation, Wallingford Beach went to national consultation in February 2024, and the results showed that Defra received 1,239 responses and 1,213 agreed with the proposal to designate an area of Wallingford Beach as a bathing water site. Citizen scientists were key to the project, as their user surveys proved the popularity of the site which drew hundreds of people to the river in the hottest days of 2023.