South Hams Beaches Rated ‘Excellent’
Defra has announced this year’s bathing water quality results with fourteen South Hams beaches rated ‘excellent’ and three ‘good’.
South Hams bathing water quality this year has seen massive improvements since 2015. All South Hams beaches have also met stringent new bathing water quality standards.
South Hams beaches Thurlestone North, Bigbury-on-Sea South and Bovisand all made the leap from ‘good’ to ‘excellent’. Bantham’s bathing water rating saw the most significant improvement, from the 2015 rating of ‘sufficient’ reaching ‘excellent’ in 2016.
Water quality is tested at designated bathing water sites all over England and assessed by the Environment Agency. Annual ratings classify each site as ‘excellent’, ‘good’, ‘sufficient’ or ‘poor’.
Cllr Hilary Bastone, Portfolio Holder for Customer First said: “We are thrilled at these results, we welcome the news that not only have South Hams beaches met the new standards, many of our seaside swimming spots are rated excellent.
“To achieve the top rating for fourteen of our beaches is really good news for residents and tourists alike. Hopefully this will inspire more visitors to our seascapes and we are very proud to say water quality across the board is improving.”
Sir James Bevan Chief Executive of the Environment Agency said: “Water quality at beaches has improved again this year, over 98% passed the high standards and there are 287 Excellent English beaches.
“The Environment Agency has led successful work to protect people, tourism and the environment. We will continue to ensure bathing waters are maintained and improved further, so we need partners and the public to work with us to reduce pollution.
“We encourage all beach-goers to check water quality advice, this is available at every bathing beach and on our Bathing Water Data website.”
Anyone can check the water quality standards for their local beach on the new Bathing Water Explorer website: http://environment.data.gov.uk/bwq/profiles/
South Hams Results
· Dartmouth Castle and Sugary Cove – Excellent
· Blackpool Sands – Excellent
· Slapton Sands Monument – Excellent
· Slapton Sands Torcross – Excellent
· Mill Bay – Excellent
· Salcombe North Sands – Excellent
· Salcombe South Sands – Good
· Hope Cove – Excellent
· Thurlestone South – Excellent
· Thurlestone North – Excellent
· Bantham – Excellent
· Bigbury-on-Sea South – Excellent
· Bigbury-on-Sea North – Excellent
· Challaborough – Excellent
· Mothecombe – Good
· Wembury – Good
· Bovisand – Excellent
ENDS
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