Welsh Icons News | 100% of Wales’ bathing waters meet European mandatory quality standards

All the designated bathing waters in Wales passed mandatory water quality standards, Environment Minister Jane Davidson said today (15 November).

A total of 80 bathing waters were tested this year with all passing the mandatory bacteria standards set by the European Council Bathing Water Directive and 71 (89%) of the beaches met the more stringent EC guideline standards.

The Minster said:

“Once again I am delighted that Wales’s beaches are continuing to exhibit high water quality standards.

“As we saw in 2009 heavy rainfall can often have an effect on the quality of our bathing waters. I continue to place a high priority on driving forward and promoting work to improve beach facilities.

“Tourism is big business in Wales. It contributes around £3.5 billion a year to the economy and employs up to 100,000 people at the peak of the season. Many visitors come to enjoy our beautiful beaches and we have a growing reputation for water sport facilities. Ensuring that our beaches continue to have excellent water quality and facilities are key to making sure that all visitors experience the very best Wales has to offer.”

Environment Agency Wales Director, Chris Mills says:

“Environment Agency Wales monitors and assesses the water quality at designated bathing waters. Ensuring that these bathing waters meet the high standards set by Europe is a priority for us. We are working hard to further improve bathing water quality which faces pressures from a variety of sources.

“Wales’ bathing waters are enjoyed by thousands every year and provide numerous social, health and economic benefits.

“Today’s results demonstrate that the work we do with farmers, beach-users, water companies and local authorities continue to achieve significant improvements.

“But there is more to be done. The introduction in 2015 of new European legislation – the revised Bathing Waters Directive – will set even stricter standards for bathing water quality throughout Europe. We will continue to work with our partners to help meet these goals.”

The results for the 80 beaches surveyed are:

Compliance with Mandatory Standards (2010 results)