Outdoor swimming returns after water quality drop

Open water swimming at a city park lake has returned in time for the June heatwave.

Last week the Nene Park Trust said a monthly water bathing quality test had been carried out at Gunwade Lake in Ferry Meadows, Peterborough.

Due to the water quality dropping below the standard recommended for people to swim in by the Environment Agency, it was closed to open water swimmers.

The lake - which is fed by the River Nene - will reopen on Thursday after latest tests show the quality was "excellent".

A spokesperson from the Nene Park Trust said: "Seeing such a difference in test results in such a short space of time shows how the water quality of the river can vary massively and be affected by a wide range of factors beyond our control.

"This is why we regularly test our waters so that we can be confident in offering a safe environment for our open water swimmers.

"As the lakes are fed by the river, which is a natural and ever-changing body of water, we are not able to control the water quality entering our lakes."

They added that the most common sources of bacteria was from livestock, urban drainage and sewage, but it could also come from birds, wildlife and pets.

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