'IT'S almost as busy as Blackpool beach on a hot summer day."

That is what councillor Tracy Coward, chair of Coniston Parish Council, said about the three swimming spots on Coniston Water that may soon become designated bathing waters and receive regular testing. Despite the thousands of visitors and locals who visit the area to swim each year, Cllr Coward said 'we don't know the quality of the site.'

Unless an area receives designated bathing water status, or the Environment Agency is made aware of pollution, it will usually not receive monitoring and regular testing from the regulator. 

The status will mean that people can check to see the quality of the water they are intending to swim in - from excellent to poor. 

Subject to consultation, 27 sites across England considered for designation will receive the status on March 10, including three sites on Coniston Water: the boating centre, Brown Howe and Monk Coniston. 

The government says that a site receiving designated bathing status will be subject to regular water monitoring from the regulator, which will investigate pollution sources and identify steps to be taken in response. This could include action from water companies, farmers and others.  

Cllr Coward and other Coniston residents have been pushing for the sites to be designated for two years. They have had to submit tests to the Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs and proof that the area has facilities for bathers to use, such as toilets. 

READ MORE: Government reveals list of new swimming spots in Lake District

"We're really pleased. It's two years of work from volunteers," Cllr Coward said. "It's quite obvious that Coniston is used and appreciated by swimmers. The aim is to protect the people swimming in the lake."

The councillor also said the issue of water quality in natural spaces had become a topic of public interest. She said that people are interested in the water they are swimming in and the impact water quality has on the environment. 

"We value our lake, I'm really proud of it," she said. 

"The sites that we chose are the ones that are most heavily used for swimming. That is why we focused on these sites. We really want people to respect the area."