England · Ribble Valley
River Ribble at Edisford Bridge
No. Rated Poor in the most recent annual classification.
Water quality only This says nothing about tides, rip currents, cold water shock or lifeguard cover. Cold water and currents are dangerous even when the water is clean. Read the local signs before you go in. What we cannot tell you.
Checked UK time
Why this verdict
- Bathing season
- Closed until 15 May (neutral factor)
- Annual classification
- Poor (negative factor)
- Pollution risk forecast
- Normal (positive factor)
- Rainfall (24h)
- 0mm (positive factor)
- Latest E. coli
- 580 cfu/100ml (positive factor)
- Latest intestinal enterococci
- 150 cfu/100ml (positive factor)
Out of season
Weekly sampling and the daily pollution-risk forecast pause on 30 September and resume on 15 May. This verdict rests on the annual classification, live storm-overflow data and rainfall in the last 24 hours.
Storm overflows are driven by rain, so they spill more in autumn and winter than in summer. See every spill happening now across the UK.
Recent sewage discharges nearby
Storm overflows operated by United Utilities within ten kilometres in the last 48 hours.
- Ended yesterdayUUP02003 · into Bashall Brook1.6km from the bathing water
- Ended yesterdayUUP00239 · into River Calder5.0km from the bathing water
- Ended yesterdayUUP01003 · into Dean Brook5.1km from the bathing water
- Ended 2 days agoUUP01655 · into River Calder5.1km from the bathing water
- Ended 2 days agoUUP02120 · into Unnamed tributary of River Calder5.7km from the bathing water
- Ended yesterdayUUP01290 · into Tributary of Dinckley Brook8.5km from the bathing water
See United Utilities's own storm-overflow map(opens in a new tab) →
Latest bacteria reading
Latest sample · 10 September 2026 · 3 weeks ago
- E. coli
- 580cfu/100ml
- Intestinal enterococci
- 150cfu/100ml
This is the most recent reading. Sampling resumes on 15 May. E. coli and intestinal enterococci are the indicator organisms used in the official classification.
Classification record, 2024 to 2025
Rated Poor in both 2024 and 2025.
The regulator republishes this every November as a percentile over readings from up to four bathing seasons, so it describes the water's record rather than today. No classification was made for 2020, when the pandemic cut the bathing season short.
Sewage spills, 2025
The Environment Agency links 3 storm overflows to River Ribble at Edisford Bridge. In 2025 they discharged 221 times.
Counting every monitored overflow within ten kilometres instead, whether or not it drains here, gives 1,373 spills across 29 overflows in 2025.
Common questions
- Can you swim at River Ribble at Edisford Bridge?
- No. Rated Poor in the most recent annual classification. River Ribble at Edisford Bridge is a designated bathing water, so it is sampled and rated every season. This answer covers water quality only, not tides, currents or lifeguard cover.
- What is the water quality like at River Ribble at Edisford Bridge?
- River Ribble at Edisford Bridge is rated Poor in the regulator's 2025 annual classification, a percentile taken over readings from up to four bathing seasons. The most recent sample, taken 10 September 2026, showed 580 cfu/100ml of E. coli and 150 cfu/100ml of intestinal enterococci.
- Has there been sewage at River Ribble at Edisford Bridge recently?
- Yes. 6 storm overflows within ten kilometres of River Ribble at Edisford Bridge: 6 in the last 48 hours.
Where this data comes from
- Contains Environment Agency information © Environment Agency and database right
- Contains water-company storm overflow data, licensed under OGL v3
- Spill counts from the Environment Agency EDM Storm Overflow Annual Returns, 2021 to 2025, published annually.
- View the regulator's full profile
Other beaches nearby
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Gareth Clubb