Record Number Of UK Beaches Awarded For 'Excellent' Water Quality

A record number of UK beaches have received awards for water quality, in the annual Good Beach Guide.

The water quality at 73% of the UK's beaches have been classed as "excellent" by the Marine Conservation Society (MCS), who say that the driest summer since 2003 caused less pollution to filter down from town and cities in to coastal waters.

Published today the Good Beach Guide recommends 538 out of the UK's 734 beaches, 135 more than in 2013.

There were also fewer failures, with just fourteen beaches tested last summer failing to reach minimum water quality standards.

In the North East and South East of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland there were no failures at all meaning all of their monitored beaches reached minimum bathing water standards.

In Wales the MCS recommended 109 out of 152 (71.7%) Welsh beaches tested during last summer as having excellent water quality – that’s 11 more than the previous year.  There was also one less failure than the previous year, with just four beaches tested last summer failing to reach minimum water quality standards.

In Scotland the MCS has recommended 54 out of 95 (56.8%) of Scotland’s beaches tested during last summer as having excellent water quality – that’s 12 more than the previous year. Despite Scotland receiving more rainfall than some other parts of the UK last summer, there were no failures at all, meaning all of Scotland’s monitored beaches reached minimum bathing water standards.

MCS Coastal Pollution Officer, Rachel Wyatt, says she hopes the latest figures will be a boost to UK tourism after several previously wet summers which led to a drop in bathing water quality from pollution running into the sea from rural and urban areas and overloaded sewers.

"It’s great news that we are able to recommend more beaches than ever for excellent water quality and it shows just how good British beaches can be,” says Rachel Wyatt. "The main challenge now is maintaining these standards, whatever the weather."

By the end of the 2015 bathing season, all designated bathing waters must meet the new minimum ‘Sufficient’ standard due to the revised EU Bathing Water Directive. This will be around twice as stringent as the current minimum standard and means that some beaches will need to do more to make the grade in the future which could include reducing pollution from sewage discharges, agricultural run-off and urban diffuse pollution, fixing mis-connected sewers and putting in place more steps to help dog owners clean up after their pets.

Beaches which don’t meet the ‘Sufficient’ standard at the end of 2015 will have to display signs warning against bathing in the sea from the start of the bathing season in 2016.

(MH)