Hampstead Heath’s ladies’ pond will reopen on Saturday after being closed for more than a week from a sewage leak.
The City of London Corporation (CoLC) confirmed the Kenwood Ladies’ Bathing Pond will reopen on September 26 with opening hours of 7am-4.30pm.
The Kenwood Ladies’ Pond Association has challenged the CoLC over whether it could have acted faster to close the pond, the implications on swimmers’ health and the testing of its water.
The Environment Agency (EA) normally undertakes 20 tests between May to September but this year has only managed three in the same period due to Covid-19.
Additional water samples have been taken by the CoLC and tested by Public Health England. The results of tests undertaken by Thames Water have not yet come in.
A CoLC spokesperson said: “The sewage blockage has been cleared by Thames Water and water quality tests have informed the decision to reopen the Ladies’ Bathing Pond from 7am on Saturday.
“We remain committed to providing safe, welcoming and accessible outdoor swimming at Hampstead Heath.”
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