Water Quality

Water source

Eden Dock is an enclosed waterway that has been shut off from the surrounding docklands and Thames River since construction first began at Canary Wharf over 30 years ago. The natural groundwater travels through layers of chalk, Thanet sand, alluvial clays, and gravel which leads to its incredible clarity and cleanliness.

The water is tested regularly as per EU Bathing Guidelines and has a long-running record of Excellent quality.

Water quality clarifications

Water quality ratings can sometimes be confusing. Official bathing water classifications such as Excellent, Good, Sufficient and Poor are based on many samples collected over several years, rather than the result of a single water test.

This means that a classification reflects long-term water quality trends and may not always represent conditions on a particular day. Our fortnightly testing programme provides regular, up-to-date information about water quality within Eden Dock.

What we test

We regularly test the water for two bacteria that are widely used to assess bathing water quality

E. coli (EC) – an indicator of possible contamination.
Intestinal Enterococci (IE) – a bacteria group used to assess the suitability of water for swimming.

This table shows the results from our most recent water quality tests.

For comparison, the official standards for inland bathing waters are shown below. Water quality classifications are based on the levels of E. coli and Intestinal Enterococci found over time:

Classification	E. coli (EC)	Intestinal Enterococci (IE)
*** Excellent	≤ 500 cfu/100ml	≤ 200 cfu/100ml
** Good	≤ 1,000 cfu/100ml	≤ 400 cfu/100ml
* Sufficient	≤ 900 cfu/100ml	≤ 330 cfu/100ml
Poor	Sufficient standard not met	Sufficient standard not met

Latest test results

Date	Rating	EC (CFU/100ml)	IE (CFU/100ml)
June 23 2026	Excellent	56	13
May 11 2026	Excellent	10	3

Frequently asked questions

Duck mites (also known as swimmer’s itch) are microscopic organisms that can occasionally be found in natural outdoor swimming environments. In some people, they can cause a harmless skin irritation after swimming.

Wearing a wetsuit may help reduce the likelihood of irritation by limiting direct skin exposure to the water. We recommend showering immediately after your swim, particularly before using the sauna using the outdoor showers, and towel drying vigorously and thoroughly, as this can help reduce the likelihood of irritation.

This is not related to water quality which we regularly monitor is currently rated “Excellent” under EU Bathing Water Standards. For more information and ways to prevent swimmers itch please read our handy guide here.