Devon beaches break records for high water quality standards
Nine beaches across the county and Cornwall have improved their bathing water classification
For the second year running, the Environment Agency's 148 monitored bathing beaches in Devon and Cornwall have broken records for water quality standards.
Most beaches met the highest international standards for water quality cleanliness where we bathe.
This year nine beaches in the two counties have improved their bathing water classification, these are:
- Ladram Bay, Devon (from good to excellent)
- Croyde, Devon (from good to excellent)
- Combe Martin, Devon (from sufficient to good)
- Plymouth Hoe East, Devon (from good to excellent)
- Porthcurnick, Cornwall (from good to excellent)
- Pendower, Cornwall (from good to excellent)
- Gorran Haven, Cornwall (from good to excellent)
- Portwrinkle, Cornwall (from good to excellent)
- Par Sands, Cornwall (from sufficient to good)
Four beaches have deteriorated from excellent to good, these are:
- Teignmouth Town, Devon
- Readymoney Cove, Cornwall
- Porthminster, Cornwall
- Swanpool, Cornwall
Bruce Newport, Devon and Cornwall Area Environment Manager said:
"Our beaches are 100% compliant, so now the challenge is to work collaboratively with everyone to keep our healthy waters in an excellent state for people to enjoy. Our coastline is an incredible natural feature.
"We have had relatively few reports of pollution on our beaches this summer which is a credit to everyone maintaining and improving our bathing waters. We would like to say thank you to those groups, communities and businesses which have gone above and beyond to keep pollution out of our water ways."
The EA adds when foul water is wrongly connected to drains leading to our beaches, poor quality normally follows. They say this year wrong connections have been identified, fixed and teams continue to work with South West Water.