A RIVER which passes through a Somerset leisure spot is officially judged to have ‘poor’ quality bathing water by the Environment Agency.

The River Tone, in French Weir Park, Taunton, is among a number of areas popular among swimmers to be criticised in a report on water pollution.

The water quality of monitored bathing areas is based on the last four years of sampling results. Classifications run from ‘poor’, ‘sufficient’, ‘good’ to ‘excellent’, with two-thirds of the Environment Agency’s Wessex area belonging in this highest category.

Public demand saw new inland bathing waters at river locations designated earlier this year at the River Tone, River Frome at Farleigh Hungerford and River Avon at Fordingbridge. All have all been classified as ‘poor’ based on the results of their first bathing water season, meaning the water has not met the minimum standard of being considered ‘sufficient’.

The Environment Agency say there are a number of reasons for this but are committed to improving water quality at new and existing sites.

Jim Flory, area environment manager for the Environment Agency, said: “It is too easy to point the finger of blame solely at water companies or farmers. The unpopular truth is the sources of deterioration are often many. There are no quick fixes.

“New bathing waters came from massive community effort. It will take the same levels of commitment and effort to raise them to the minimum standard expected by the public and beyond.”

The Environment Agency tested bathing water at 450 sites regularly used by swimmers throughout the summer, monitoring the water for sources of pollution known to be a risk to bathers’ health, specifically E. coli and intestinal enterococci. Both are most commonly sourced from livestock, urban drainage and sewage, but can also come from birds, wildlife and pets.

In total, 92 per cent of bathing waters in England have met minimum water quality standards, with 85 per cent of bathing waters being rated as ‘good’ or ‘excellent’.

To improve the River Tone a new group made up of members of the community and partners has been created to address impacts from upstream overflows, surrounding land use and catchment scale pollution.

Taunton and Wellington MP, Gideon Amos, said: “It is shocking that for so many years people were using our river, including wild swimmers, without being given any information on the state of the water.

“So, while it’s disappointing the new research suggests what we all feared - that water quality is poor - the new status means we, at last, have found out the truth about the shocking effects of local pollution.

“The next step from the government must now be a comprehensive programme of investment to begin to improve water quality of the Tone and action from the water company and others to clean up their act.

“Meanwhile, those who love wild swimming are so right in continuing to take all the necessary precautions to stay safe and advise people to only go in at their own risk.”