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Water Firm Bosses Refuse to Swim in Cleaned-Up Rivers
Developing
In Short: In a campaign to improve water quality, nine water firm bosses were invited to swim in their local bathing spots, but all declined.
As part of a Save Britain’s Rivers campaign, The i Paper has been advocating for 100 clean river bathing spots across the country by 2030, with stricter water quality testing to enhance swimming conditions. However, when the newspaper invited nine water firm bosses to swim in their local bathing spots, all declined the offer.
Louise Beardmore, CEO of United Utilities, previously claimed that Lake Windermere has four 'excellent' swim spots and a 'thriving bathing community.' Lawrence Gosden, CEO of Southern Water, stated that bathing waters in his area have improved 'drastically' over the past 30 years.
Despite these claims, when offered the chance to join a dip, Gosden’s media relations team directed inquiries to the Environment Agency, which is responsible for testing bathing sites.
This response from the water firm bosses has sparked criticism, highlighting the gap between reported improvements and public perception of water quality.
What's confirmed
What's still developing
- Nothing material beyond the confirmed record.
Sources
- The i Paperlink