Public invited to drop-in event to discuss Taunton river bathing site
Swimmers and water users in Taunton are being invited to meet the team working to improve water quality.
A public drop-in event will take place at the COACH Community Hub in French Weir Park on Saturday, June 21 from 10am to 1pm, offering a chance to speak with experts about the River Tone, one of the UK's few officially designated river bathing sites.
The event will feature representatives from the Environment Agency, Wessex Water, Somerset Wildlife Trust, and Friends of French Weir Park.
Jim Flory of the Environment Agency said: "There are strict standards on what goes into rivers to protect wildlife and the natural ecology of our rivers.
"But the standards to protect human health are higher.
"A lot of investigation will be needed to uncover what sources of pollution feed into the River Tone.
"The public can help speed that up by eliminating the most obvious sources like picking up dog poo or looking after their septic tanks.
"This will free up people to focus on more serious issues."
The River Tone was officially designated as a bathing water site last year, meaning it is now subject to regular monitoring for bacteria such as E. coli and intestinal enterococci.
However, designation does not guarantee the water meets the standards required for safe swimming or other recreational activities.
The newly-formed steering group aims to tackle this problem by identifying and reducing pollution sources to improve water quality.
The Environment Agency will also be inspecting pipes and other infrastructure to identify sources of contamination.
Test results from ongoing monitoring will be published online at Swimfo, the Environment Agency's online platform.
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