Bathing water quality at Britains beaches drops to 10 year low

Paul Dancey on 04/10/2012

Recent tests of bathing water quality have shown that the number of British beaches failing to meet European health standards for bathing water quality has more than doubled since last year. With twenty six beaches now judged to be 'poor' by European health standards for bathing water, water quality on a number of well known British beaches is now at a 10 year low.

Laura Gottelier from the Environment Agency said: "It is because we have had this terrifically wet summer. The rain not only runs off farmland but roads, drains and sewerage systems."

Dr Robert Keirle, pollution programme manager at the Marine Conservation Society added: "Meteorologists are saying we are going to get more weather like this meaning beaches could be worse.

"The more rain you get the more untreated sewage you get going out to sea, nitrates from farmland and dog mess from drains."

Dr Keirle also said the figure will get worse once more strict standards are introduced by the EU after 2015.

Only two Welsh beaches were included in the list of beaches failing to meet European standards, Criccieth and Llandudno West Shore.

back to article index