In this Tech Talk, Martin Christmas and Ian Dunhill of the Environment Agency discuss the new impetus for designating and maintaining bathing water for rivers in the UK. They share how clean the UK's rivers currently are, explain the legislation governing the designation and grading of rivers, and set some personal and professional challenges for engineers.

Learning outcomes

After listening to this podcast, you will: 

• Have a clear understanding of what directives govern bathing waters
• Understand how a river is designated Bathing Water Status, and what metrics are used to measure the quality of bathing waters
• Have an idea of the many factors that can affect a river’s quality, and some of the potential solutions to improve quality
• Understand more about the political, economic and social landscape and the different parties involved in seeking, approving and maintaining Bathing Water Status and improving water quality