Record drop in beach water quality

23 May 2008 12:09am

Last summer's bad weather caused a record drop in the number of UK beaches receiving top ratings for water quality, the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) has said.

There was a 10% fall in the number of bathing spots recommended for excellent water quality in the MCS's annual Good Beach Guide, as coastal areas were hit by pollution washed down by the heavy rains.

It is the biggest year-on-year drop in numbers receiving the top rating in the guide's 21-year history, with 443 UK beaches -(57%) recommended this year compared to 495 last year.

And the number of beaches failing the minimum European legal standards for water quality more than tripled from 17 to 53.

The MCS is blaming the lower water quality on sewage, street debris and animal waste swept down to the sea by the storms last summer, as the latest guide is based on measurements taken between May and September 2007.

The level of recommended beaches this year is more than double the number getting the top rating in the 2000 guide, and the MCS suggested that the £20 billion spent by the water industry was paying off. But the society has warned climate change is predicted to bring a growing number of severe summer storms that could increase pollution around the UK's coasts.

The MCS said measures needed to be taken to expand the sewer system to cope with large amounts of storm water, deal with the estimated 3,500 unregulated overflow sewers used occasionally to cope with extra water and reduce animal waste run-off from farmland.

The MCS's coastal pollution officer Thomas Bell said: "These latest MCS results buck the long term trend of cleaner bathing water, but we're pinning the blame squarely on last summer's exceptionally bad weather.

"Heavy rain sweeps pollutants like raw sewage, street debris and animal waste directly from the land into rivers and the sea. Not all beaches are affected but the problem for swimmers is knowing when and where this has happened."

He added: "Poor quality bathing water carries health risks, so if this summer is wet, I'd advise people to use the Good Beach Guide, pick bathing beaches with a good record, and stay out of the sea for at least 24 hours after heavy storms."

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