RECENTLY there has been real focus on water quality around Cornwall and particularly in my patch of Lostwithiel with a stretch of the river Fowey being chosen as one of 13 areas around the country, and the only in Cornwall, to be designated as a proposed water quality protected area.

The protected bathing water status would offer enhanced monitoring of the water, involve the voice of locals and help local people to be confident of the water they are swimming in.

Cleaner water upstream will help all water users and wildlife habitats and I’d like to thank Lostwithiel Environment Action Forum and Lostwithiel River Swimmers who have worked hard to put together a strong application.

The river is a vital part of these community groups and fellow local open water swimmers, like myself, want to protect for today and all future generations, and we ask everyone to go to the Defra consultation and give their views.

Last autumn, local Cllr Jim Candy from Looe West seconded a motion to full council proposed by fellow Liberal Democrat Cllr Ruth Gripper, asking for a Water Summit. It was to involve all relevant stakeholders including South West Water the Environment Agency, as well as local organisations; to sit around a table and debate the local issues and concerns which are affecting our seas and rivers.

Speaking at the time, Ruth, councillor for Mylor, Perranarworthal and Ponsanooth was clear that people are rightly furious about sewage contamination and water management. Weak regulation, eye-watering dividends for executives and shareholders regardless of performance, all of that has to end. The water companies urgently need to invest in improving infrastructure.

As Liberal Democrats we have campaigned for changes including tougher regulation, an end to the bonus culture and changes to water company governance to make environmental protection part of their purpose.

After the Healthy Rivers and Seas Summit at Lys Kernow on February 27, the key test is what happens next, and I’m really pleased that there are some practical steps in the pipeline with the council returning to see what action has been taken within the next six months.

The first action was for South West Water, via their Pennon parent company, to commit to providing a comprehensive list of water projects and spending across Cornwall in a format people can read and understand.

Lib Dem leader Leigh Frost said after the summit: “Our rivers and seas define who we are, and they define this place we call home. They must also define the standard to which we hold ourselves,” and I wholeheartedly agree. It will be a subject we will be returning to over and over while we work to improve the situation in the waters around us.

That summit hosted by BBC Radio Cornwall’s Julie Skentelbery is still available on Cornwall Council website to watch back.

Please help protect our waters – complete the Defra consultation survey on the Fowey river bathing status at Lostwithiel. It can be found here: consult.defra.gov.uk/water/13-proposed-bathing-water-sites and closes on March 23.