New bathing area opens in Plymouth

With the start of the bathing water season, the Environment Agency has opened a newly designated area in Plymouth.

Firestone Bay joins 423 designated bathing water sites across the UK.

These sites are monitored and protected from sources of pollution that are known to be a risk to bathers’ health.

Poor water quality tends to to come from pollution including sewage, agriculture and road drainage.

Dips in water quality care exacerbated by factors like rainfall, wind and high tides.

Samples from sites are sent off to a laboratory and tested for two types of bacteria: E coli and intestinal enterococci.

Last year, it reported 97.1 per cent of bathing waters met the minimum standard of sufficient.

The EA has promised to regularly test the water quality of its sites, saying £2.5 billion has already been invested to meet this responsibility.

Environment Agency Chair Alan Lovell said: “Bathing water sites have shown enormous improvements in recent decades following significant investment and hard work.

"There is still more to be done to ensure cleaner and healthier waters for people to enjoy.

"This will require a combined effort from water companies, farmers, regulators, councils, local businesses and the general public.”