There was something in the water at Canary Wharf’s outdoor swimming spot, Middle Dock, last week. And we’re not talking about a shark. The swimming pool in the Thames had to close at the end of June over fears of something much smaller: E. coli. We're pleased to report that Middle Dock has now reopened and is ‘completely clean’ from the harmful bacteria.
Last week campaign group River Action said its water sampling by citizen scientists in Henley showed ‘alarmingly high levels’ of E.coli bacteria. But after a few checks, Love Open Water, which runs Middle Dock, said tests had shown the water levels had ‘consistently exceeded the minimum requirements for bathing standards" and that it was ‘completely clean and safe to swim in’.
Although Middle Dock is now back open and safe for splashing about, this doesn’t bode well for the future of Thames swimming in the capital. Reports of E. coli in the river swimming spot comes a month after it was revealed that sewage flowed into London’s waterways for a whopping 12,000 hours last year, up three times the amount from 2022. Despite this, Sadiq Khan has pledged for the Thames to be swimmable by 2034.
Middle Dock is open for swimming four days a week, on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. You can book sessions online now, if you dare.
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