Cornwall and Devon have some of the cleanest beaches in England
Almost every monitored bathing spot now meeting the high standard for safe swimming
Cornwall and Devon have some of the cleanest beaches in England, with almost every monitored bathing spot now meeting the high standard for safe swimming.
The Environment Agency says 98 percent of bathing waters in the region are up to scratch, outperforming the national average and helping to boost tourism and quality of life for locals.
Across England, out of the 449 designated sites, 87 percent of bathing sites are rated ‘Excellent’ or ‘Good’.
That's an improvement on last year.
In Devon and Cornwall, sampling was done at 154 sites this season, of which 129 bathing waters were classed as ‘Excellent’, 20 as ‘Good’, 2 as ‘Sufficient’ and 3 as ‘Poor’.
The Environment Agency also says it’s stepping up inspections of water company sites to keep standards high and tackle pollution - and is on course to doubling the number of inspections by April 2026 as part of the overall goal of 10,000 inspections.
New rules now mean struggling bathing waters will get more support to improve, rather than losing their designated status automatically.
'Arguably the best in England'
Bruce Newport of the Environment Agency said: “The beaches of Devon and Cornwall are arguably the best in England. Keeping up a high standard of bathing water quality is key.
“We sample, we gather data and we find ways to act on what we find. Holding water companies to their obligations is one of those ways.”
Bathing water quality in England has improved dramatically since the 1990s, following decades of regulation, investment and partnership work.
These results are based on the last four years of testing by the Environment Agency which monitors for indicators of pollution known to be associated with risks to bathers’ health, specifically E. coli and intestinal enterococci.
Each bathing water has its own pressures, and many factors can influence bathing water quality including storm overflows, agricultural runoff, birds, dogs and other local issues.
Alan Lovell, Chair of the Environment Agency, said: “Bathing water quality in England has improved significantly over recent decades, and this year’s results show the continued impact of strong regulation, investment and partnership working.
“But we know there is more to do, and the new bathing water reforms will strengthen the way these much-loved places are managed.
“The Environment Agency is working closely with Defra to ensure these changes are implemented effectively whilst our teams continue to work with water companies, farmers, councils and local groups to tackle all sources of pollution and support continued progress across sites.”
Alongside the annual classifications, the government’s new Bathing Water Regulation reforms came into force on 21 November.
These reforms are designed to change the ‘one size fits all’ approach and more closely reflect how people use our beaches, lakes and rivers.
Water Minister Emma Hardy said: “Our bathing waters are at the heart of so many communities, and these reforms will help people experience the benefits of our beautiful waters and connect with nature.
“By ending automatic de-designation and bringing in more flexibility to when waters are monitored, we’re creating a system that reflects how people actually use their local rivers, lakes and beaches.
“These changes sit alongside our wider action to clean up our waterways so communities across the country can enjoy the places they care about most.”
Defra and the Environment Agency are encouraging people to use Swimfo, the EA’s online service providing the latest information on bathing water quality and incidents, helping the public make informed decisions about where and when to swim.