The campaign to achieve Bathing Water status for the Thames in Wallingford took another step forward last week when residents gathered at the Riverside for water testing training.
Almost 20 enthusiastic residents and councillors signed up for the training morning, hosted by Thames21 and supported by South Oxfordshire District Council. The scheme was initiated by SODC River Thames Champion and Green councillor, Jo Robb.
Water testing will take place over 17 weeks. Volunteers will take water samples from eight sites between Abingdon and Wallingford, which will then be assessed by Thames Water’s scientists.
The results will provide evidence to support SODC’s application for Bathing Water Status for Wallingford, due to be submitted in October. The project is a partnership between South Oxfordshire District Council and Thames 21 which is overseeing the technical aspects of the scheme. If successful, Wallingford would become only the third stretch of river in the country with Bathing Water designation.
South Oxfordshire Green councillor and River Thames Champion, Cllr Jo Robb, who has spearheaded the project, said “It’s wonderful, two years after our Council unanimously approved my proposal for Bathing Water Status for Wallingford, to see this important project make real progress. I’m delighted that the River Thames is being put at the heart of our priorities and to see this project taking shape is very exciting.”
Jo, a regular river swimmer and member of the Henley Mermaids said, “I am often contacted by residents asking whether the river is clean enough for children to swim in. Unfortunately, we simply don’t know. If granted, Bathing Water Status will give residents essential real-time information about water quality and pollution. It will also give us greater powers to pressure Thames Water to improve the treatment works at Benson, upstream of Wallingford, which discharged raw sewage into the Thames for 870 hours in 2021.”
“I would love to see many Bathing Waters along the 215-mile length of the Thames and I hope this campaign inspires other local councils to do the same.”
