Yorkshire Water monitoring of River Wharfe welcome but should not be needed - The Yorkshire Post says

That’s something they came to expect when a section of river that runs through the West Yorkshire town was granted bathing status in 2021.

Last year, however, the Environment Agency said swimming is “not advised”, as the water quality is poor because it contains effluent from storm overflows and runoff from livestock farms.

The wider issue of sewage dumping has incensed communities and is one which has led to plenty of letters disgust published in this paper.

Yorkshire Water’s move to install another 120 sewer level and flow monitors in the town, while also trialling 21 new water quality monitors along the river over 12 months, comes after the Government announced water companies will be legally required to actively monitor bathing waters from 2025 and take action when the quality is poor.

The Environment Agency figures show the overall number of discharges recorded by the company dropped by 22 per cent, from 70,062 to 54,273, between 2021 and 2022.

Many, though, will still consider getting into these waters too stomach-turning and keep themselves and their families away. That’s a terrible shame when this region prides itself on offering residents and visitors a wide ranging of natural beauty to enjoy.