The Quality Of Bathing Waters Around Wales

The quality of bathing waters in Wales is generally excellent.  In 2005 all 80 designated bathing waters monitored by the Environment Agency met mandatory European standards and a record 91% met the far more stringent Guideline standards.  A record 43 Blue Flags for beaches in Wales were announced last month, which is about a third of the UK total.

The quality of our bathing waters is of enormous importance to our tourism industry. The results of the monitoring and the many awards that our beaches attract show the excellence that Wales has to offer and proves that we can compete with the very best in Europe.  Major investment by the water industry has contributed to the improvements we have seen over recent years: that investment has, in turn, has been paid for by water customers in Wales.  

It is not possible to eliminate short-term problems completely that are caused, for example, by leaks from sewers.  If a pollution incident occurs that could result in a risk to the health of bathers, provision exists to warn the public and, if necessary, close any affected areas.  

During the recent sewerage problems in Aberystwyth I understand that Ceredigion County Council posted warning notices at relevant bathing waters.  These were removed when sampling by the Environment Agency demonstrated that there was no evidence of an adverse impact on water quality.  Investigations into the leak at Aberystwyth are continuing and it is too early to say what caused the problem. I am unaware of any problems elsewhere this year.  That said, there are similar incidents in most bathing seasons.