Mixed results for bathing water quality in Lyme Regis
Front Beach has been rated 'good' while Church Cliff is 'poor'
There's a mixed bag of results in Lyme Regis, when it comes to the quality of designated bathing waters.
The Environment Agency has released classifications, based on samples they've taken.
Front Beach has been rated as having 'good' water quality, while Church Cliff is found to be 'poor' quality.
The latter was only designated as a bathing area in the summer, after campaigning from local wild swimmers.
Vicki Elcoate, from the River Lim Action group said:
“There’s clearly room for improvement as our aim is for EXCELLENT water quality at both beaches. People swim all year round in their hundreds and we need reliable, safe water for them and for the environment.
“Sewage discharges into the river need to be reduced urgently. Even after Storm Bert passed through and it stopped raining, the sewer overflow at the Uplyme Sewage Treatment Works discharged for over 24 hours. For the certainty and safety of swimmers we support South West Water’s aim of cutting discharges by 90% by 2027. We need an investment programme fit for purpose in reducing permitted discharges and fixing our creaking sewage system in the town."
Beverley Glock, of the Lyme Regis Blue Tits swimming group, said:
“We need South West Water to work with us to upgrade the water quality to EXCELLENT at both our bathing beaches. We swim every day, year round, so we need the water to be tested all year. Our campaign for better water quality and better information goes on."
The Environment Agency have said that while sample results remain ‘poor’, they are better than previously with work to find misconnections from South West Water expected to drive improvement.
Jim Flory, area environment manager for the Environment Agency, said:
“It is too easy to point the finger of blame solely at water companies or farmers. The unpopular truth is the sources of deterioration are often many. There are no quick fixes.
“New bathing waters came from massive community effort. It will take the same levels of commitment and effort to raise them to the minimum standard expected by the public and beyond.”
Elsewhere in Dorset, Weymouth Central breach has seen its water quality classification dropped from ‘Excellent’ to ‘Good’.
Boscombe Pier in Bournemouth rose from ‘Good’ to ‘Excellent’.