Welsh Government has announced that Lisvane & Llanishen Reservoirs has been included in its list of 112 designated bathing waters in Wales.
Huw Irranca-Davies MS, Deputy First Minister & Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs welcomed the proposal from an inland location; reflecting the Programme for Government commitment to increase the number of designated inland bathing waters and strengthen water quality monitoring across Wales during this Senedd term.
Following a major redevelopment, Welsh Water opened Lisvane & Llanishen Reservoirs in July 2023 as a hub for health and wellbeing and a haven for wildlife. Water activities were introduced, including paddleboarding, canoeing, kayaking and open water swimming, along with reintroducing sailing which was once a popular activity on Llanishen Reservoir. A brand new two-storey visitor centre was opened offering spectacular views across the reservoirs with an exceptional food experience.
During February 2024 cold-water dipping was introduced to its water activity programme, due to popular demand. Following an induction course and first dipping session, participants gain exclusive access to join the Lisvane and Llanishen Reservoirs cold-water dipping community, where they can participate in regular dips, meetups and events.
Open water swimming is the most popular water activity at the reservoirs, with over 6,000 participants in 2024. Due to the popularity, extra open water swimming sessions are planned for the bathing season which runs from 15 May – 30 September. During the summer holidays a family swim session will be introduced, allowing families to swim in a designated area of Llanishen Reservoir. These lifeguarded sessions offer outdoor swimming in safe and clean water.
In partnership with Swim Wales and the RNLI, Welsh Water is hosting three ‘Swim Safe’ days at Lisvane & Llanishen Reservoirs this July. These free structured children’s swimming sessions teach 7 – 14 year olds how to stay safe in open water in a fun and safe environment.
James Griffith, Lisvane & Llanishen Reservoirs Manager said:
“It was our ambition to become a designated bathing water within the first two years of opening the reservoirs, and we are delighted to have achieved this. This designation gives the public piece of mind when swimming in the waters of Llanishen Reservoir. We offer clean, monitored bathing waters in a safe and beautiful environment. We hope to welcome new visitors through our ever growing water activity programme.”
Llanishen Reservoir will be sampled multiple times during the bathing season, which runs from 15 May to 30 September, in accordance with the UK Bathing Water Regulations.
Samples collected from the reservoir will be tested at Natural Resources Wales laboratory in Swansea, where they are tested for the presence of Escherichia coli (E. coli) and intestinal enterococci (IE)—key indicators of water quality and potential health risks. Results from a four-year rolling period are then used to determine the classification as either; excellent, good, satisfactory or poor.
