It is at their own risk that the English take a dip in the river near their homes, where sewage is easily discharged on days of high floods, according to the activists of the Ilkley Clean River Group.
Maybe that will change. The Ministry ofEnvironment, Fisheries and Food has just approved a consultation to open part of the River Wharfe, precisely located in the town of Ilkley, in the north of theEngland, for swimming. The objective is to obtain strict monitoring of water quality and the creation of a status guaranteeing it. These English residents demand a French model, jealous of our 1314 freshwater swimming sites (lakes and rivers).
“An open sewer”
We were shocked to find that our river was used as an open sewer. We have testimonies of children who fell ill after diving in the Wharfe, says Becky Malby, a member of the Clean River, showing studies to the Guardian. It’s a shame.
Last year, the British newspaper showed how some water companies took advantage of the floods to discharge untreated water into overflowing rivers and streams. The Times had also published an alarming study: 86% of the rivers of the Kingdom did not meet the pollution standards of the European Union and none was tested sufficiently regularly to guarantee the health of the swimmers.
After the scandal of last year, everything changed in 2020. Environment Minister Rebecca Pow has increased the levies in the most popular places. And what a surprise: 93% of bathing water was classified as “good” or “excellent” at the beginning of August in England.
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