Don't swim at Lancashire's newest bathing spot this weekend - this is why
People are being urged not to swim in Lancashire’s newest official bathing site this weekend, as temperatures hit 30°C.
After years of campaigning, last May, Defra officially recognised the River Ribble at Edisford Bridge, Clitheroe, as a Bathing Water Site under the Bathing Water Regulations.
But only months later, concerns were raised when The Environment Agency (EA) revealed that water samples taken weekly between May 1 and September 30, 2024 contained evidence of Intestinal Enterococci (IE) and Escherichia coli (E coli) - both types of bacteria that live in the intestines of humans and other warm-blooded animals. If ingeted, thet can cause severe stomach upsets.
Today, the latest 2025 statement is that the water quality is still classified as ‘poor’, and as such, the recommendation is against swimming. Recent testing shows that there is still evidence of both IE and E Coli.
However, the River Ribble Trust clarifies: “After its first year of testing, Edisford Bridge has been rated as ‘poor.’ While this might sound alarming, it doesn’t mean swimming is banned. Instead, it highlights an urgent need for improvements. The designation also brings more funding to help identify pollution sources and take action to improve water quality.”
Trust staff say that on some days the water quality is good and others it is poor, but this is integrated into a single status. A spokesman said: “The days that tend to achieve good are those where there has been consistent dry weather, and although this is not always a guarantee it will be good, it is more likely to be so. As such this weekend we are hopeful the water quality will be good.”
Where is the pollution coming from?
Pollution can enter the river from multiple sources, including:
- Sewage overflows
- Agricultural runoff
- Animal waste (including pets)
- Household plumbing misconnections (e.g., washing machines draining into surface water drains)
- Outdated urban drainage systems
- Road runoff
Initial environmental monitoring suggests that pollution affecting Edisford Bridge may be traveling from as far as 20 miles upstream of Clitheroe.
What has been done so far?
• Agriculture - Regulatory and advisory measures have been implemented in the Ribble catchment to mitigate diffuse agricultural pollution.
• Sewage - Ongoing investigations are required following the inland bathing water designation to evaluate the impact of upstream discharges.
• Other - The EA has collaborated with Hello Lamp Post to implement an innovative project aimed at collecting data on public interactions with local watercourses at the Ribble at Edisford Bridge, leveraging modern technology to enhance bathing water monitoring and citizen science, while encouraging community participation in real-time environmental observations.
The Environment Agency
An EA spokesman said: “The long-term trend for bathing water quality in the North West remains positive this year with 83% achieving the minimum standard of sufficient. Of these, 60% achieved the highest standards of Excellent or Good.
“We understand the frustration felt by the community at Edisford Bridge, and the poor classification result for 2024 makes us even more committed to working with our partners to improve water quality at this important tourist destination.”