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More UK bathing beaches have "excellent" water quality today than ever before, according to a Marine Conservation Society (MCS) guide published today.
538 out of 734 (73 per cent) of UK beaches tested during last summer made the standard – 135 more than the previous year.
There were also fewer failures, with just fourteen beaches tested last summer failing to reach minimum water quality standards.
The MCS says the rise in water quality is a result of one of the UK’s driest summers in recent memory. Several recent wet summers led to an increase in pollution running into the sea from rural and urban areas and overloaded sewers.
Last year MCS called on water companies to invest in increased monitoring of combined sewer overflows (CSOs). It claims there are 31,000 CSOs in the UK and only a quarter are monitored.
Rachel Wyatt, MCS coastal pollution officer, said: “It’s great news that we are able to recommend more beaches than ever for excellent water quality and it shows just how good British beaches can be. The main challenge now is maintaining these standards, whatever the weather.”
From 2015, UK beaches will be subject to more stringent quality standards under the European Bathing Water Directive.
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