You may be aware that the Council has certain responsibilities for a stretch of the River Dee from the Old Dee Bridge and the Groves, past Sandy Lane, up to Eccleston and beyond. The river is one of Chester’s greatest assets but concern about the pollution of our rivers and coastal waters has been growing over the last few years. While there are several sources of pollution, attention has focused on the issue of untreated sewage being discharged into our waters, particularly during and following periods of heavy rainfall.
Responding to increasing local concerns about river cleanliness, Cheshire West and Chester Council set up a cross-party task group of councillors to investigate this issue. One of the task group’s recommendations was that the Council should explore whether an application for part of the river to be designated as a bathing water would be feasible.
Designated bathing water status refers to the designation of a beach or inland water as a bathing water so that information on water quality is provided to bathers and their health can be protected. If a site is designated, the Environment Agency will regularly test the water quality at the site during the bathing season, from 15 May to 30 September, and categorise it at the end of the season as ‘Excellent’, ‘Good’, ‘Sufficient’ or ‘Poor’. It will also investigate any sources of microbiological pollution and recommend measures to improve the quality of the water.
Bathing water designation does not mean the water meets bathing water quality standards or that the water is safe for bathers, but it can be the first step to ensure action is taken to improve water quality by reducing contamination.
Improved water quality would, of course, benefit not only bathers but also a wide range of other leisure and sports users, including paddlers, paddleboarders, canoeists, rowers, leisure boat users and local businesses as well as the environment and wildlife. More generally, as part of its ongoing commitment to promoting water safety throughout the borough, the Council is working with consultants and others in helping to ensure that a wide range of users can enjoy water safely.
Although there are several sites where people access the water, it is only Sandy Lane, upstream from the river ferry, that potentially fits the criteria due to the number of people bathing there and the existence of facilities. Please note there are no plans for development and no plans to increase the number of bathers.
Please could I ask you to complete a survey* to share your views on this as part of our Clean Dee consultation, which launched last week and closes on 31 August. The survey is very short and will only take minutes to complete.
