Water - Bathing water testing begins in the South West
23 May 2014 03:55 PM
The Environment Agency
bathing water monitoring teams will be out and about in the South West every
week until the end of September, taking nearly 4,000 samples from 194 bathing
waters.
The samples taken are used to
assess the water quality at the beaches and these results will be shared so
that people can make choices about whether to bathe or not. It also helps
identify and investigate sources of pollution so the Environment Agency can
work with others to improve bathing water quality.
The quality of the bathing
waters in the South West is high. Last year, the majority passed the minimum
European bathing water quality standards with only Instow Beach in Devon
falling short. And a record 91 per cent of the beaches met new stricter
guideline standards.
There will be much more
stringent water quality targets to achieve under the revised Bathing Water
Directive in 2015 and the Environment Agency is concentrating on tackling
sources of pollution before the targets come into force.
The Directive introduces a new
classification scheme where beaches will be rated as excellent, good,
sufficient or poor. All bathing waters need to achieve a classification of at
least ‘sufficient’.
For those beaches classed as
‘poor’, beach controllers will be required to display a sign
advising visitors not to swim there.
Jonathan Ponting for the
Environment Agency said:
With only a year to go until our
bathing waters need to meet tighter standards everyone has a part to play in
improving bathing water quality. We are focusing on those beaches which might
struggle to meet the new targets. We are working with water companies, local
authorities and farmers to identify and tackle sources of pollution so beaches
meet the new standards, and the seaside tourist economy in the South West of
England continues to thrive.
The revised European Bathing
Water Directive also focuses on providing better information to the public.
This year a pollution risk forecasting system is in place to give daily updates
on the water quality risk at a number of beaches. Signs at the beach will allow
bathers to make an informed choice of whether or not to take a
dip.
Jonathan Ponting
added:
At some bathing waters, quality
is often reduced for a day or so when rain washes faecal material from
agriculture land and urban areas into the sea. Pollution risk forecasting is
used to assess when this occurs and warn people.
There are also detailed online
profiles for every bathing water published online at the following website at a
https://www.gov.uk/quality-of-local-bathing-water which includes maps, photos
and links to the latest water quality results.
Further information about South
West bathing waters can be found on the Agency’s website
www.environment-agency.gov.uk/bathingwaters or follow on twitter: @EnvAgencySW
#swbathingwater.
There is also a bathing water
App www.beachselecta.co.uk that gives up to date information on bathing water
quality.
Anyone wanting to learn more
about the Agency’s bathing water monitoring programme can view a sampling
video on YouTube at : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UL4MoMjQUU It was filmed
at West Bay, Dorset.
Ends
Notes to editors: • During
the bathing season the Environment Agency undertakes weekly sampling of
identified bathing waters. Samples are taken at specific locations where the
average density of bathers has been shown to be the highest. • The revised
Bathing Water Directive is an updated version of the current Bathing Water
Directive which is now more than 30 years old. It sets higher water quality
standards and also puts a stronger emphasis on the management of bathing waters
by the beach operator and greater provision of public information. • Poor
bathing water quality can be caused by a number of sources. People take
measures to prevent several forms of pollution. These include:
Know your drains: Some pollution
is caused by incorrect plumbing, resulting in dirty water from homes and
businesses draining into rivers and streams and then into the sea. Check your
plumbing is correct. More information on www.connectright.org.uk Cooking fats:
Cooking fats, oils and greases can block drains and cause sewage to overflow
into roads, streams and rivers. People are asked not to pour fats down the sink
and use fat traps. Drains: Think about what you put down external drains.
Anything emptied down a drain in your driveway or by the side of the road, for
example, dirty car water, paints, and motor oils, will end up in the river, sea
and on the beach. Rivers: The river and its banks should not be used to dump
litter, dog mess or garden waste. Farming: Where possible try and prevent
animals from crossing, drinking and standing in rivers and streams. We are also
helping farmers to understand their soils and the problems associated with poor
soil structure causing runoff, erosion, pollution and flooding. We can also
signpost farmers to further sources of help, advice and funding to reduce these
problems. Pigeons or seagulls: Birds congregating in greater numbers can
increase the amount of bird fouling that gets washed into the sea. We are
concerned about flocks of birds roosting near the beach, for example
breakwaters or piers, which then impact on bathing water quality. We ask that
people do not feed these birds. Dog fouling: Pick up after your dog as this can
have a significant effect on bathing water quality.