Anyone, including water companies, can apply for a new bathing water designation and the Government then considers those applications. We encourage applications for new bathing water designations annually and are actively exploring ways to make the application process more accessible to build on this. To be eligible for designation, a bathing water must meet the criteria set for designation in the Bathing Water Regulations 2013, primarily that sites must have a large number of bathers and that bathing is promoted through adequate infrastructure and facilities. for designation. In 2021 two water companies, Severn Trent and South West Water, successfully applied to the Green Recovery Fund to undertake improvements across their network in order to create bathing water quality stretches of river in their areas. status and ensure only necessary information is requested, this year the Government will revise its existing guidance on how to make an application for a new bathing water designation.