River Thames spot among 13 sites shortlisted for swimming status

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 4 min read 100% complete by Sandra Laville Environment correspondentFebruary 13, 2026 at 08:00 AM

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long article 4 min

The River Thames at Ham in south-west London has been shortlisted as one of 13 new monitored swimming areas across the country under the EU-derived bathing water directive. Campaigners gathered evidence to show thousands of people use the river for swimming throughout the year, and a proposal was submitted to designate it as a bathing water area. The designation could help keep the River Thames clean by increasing scrutiny on water quality. Thames Water is currently planning to draw off tens of millions of litres of water from the Thames near the proposed area to replace treated effluent with sewage. The Environment Agency rejected this plan in 2019 due to environmental concerns. The shortlisted sites include locations in Devon, Cornwall, and Yorkshire, among others.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Mogden sewage works 30% Yorkshire 30% Northumberland 30% Berkshire 40% Chester 40% Thames Water 40% Cornwall 50% South Devon 60% Teddingtion Bluetits 60% London 70% Marlene Lawrence ×280% River Thames ×290%

Keywords

bathing water status 100% river thames 90% swimming 80% water quality 70% sewage discharge 60% environment agency 60% water shortages 50% effluent 50% water recycling scheme 50% river pollution 40%

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Positive

Score: 0.30

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The Guardian - World News

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.40)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

River Thames

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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bathing water status river thames swimming water quality sewage discharge environment agency water shortages effluent water recycling scheme river pollution

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