Beaches fail water standard tests

Five Welsh beaches have failed water standards

Bathing water at some of Wales's leading holiday resorts fails to come up to the EU's minimum standards, according to a new report.

Tests carried out at the popular holiday destinations of Llandudno, Prestatyn, Rhyl, and Tywyn in Meirionnydd, found higher than permitted levels of bacteria which can cause stomach upsets and illness.

An investigation has already been launched by Environment Minister Sue Essex into what has gone wrong after Wales slipped from its previously very high success levels.

Betty Williams MP: Beaches vital to Llandudno

Normally Wales performs well in the UK bathing water quality league table.

So it is of major concern that beaches which have failed to meet EU standards this year are all at important tourist centres.

Conwy MP Betty Williams said it was very serious that the two beaches in Wales's biggest resort of Llandudno had failed European mandatory bacterial standards for bathing.

Mrs Williams said these beaches were vital to the town and no effort must be spared to resolve the problem as quickly as possible.

She is to ask Welsh Water, the Environment Agency and Conwy Council to find the reasons and ensure they cannot recur.

Blue flag standard

One possible cause of the problem is the high level of rainfall which will have washed contaminents into storm drains.

But there is good news in the report as well.

A record number of Welsh beaches, 45 out of 75, meet the much higher blue flag standard for water quality.

That means years of investment in new sewage treatment works does appear to be paying off.

Blue flag: Premier status

Wales had a 99% success rate on the basic test in 2000, but standards at several beaches this year have slipped, letting down the overall impression that cleanliness levels at Welsh beaches are improving.

Blue flag beaches must satisfy a number of other standards, including being litter-free, having good safety levels and decent facilities.

Each of the 75 bathing waters in Wales taking part was tested 20 times by officials between May and September.

Five Welsh beaches lost the prestigious blue flag status last year.

For every kilometre surveyed, researchers found an average of 2,800 items of litter.

The highest concentration of litter was found at Southerndown in the Vale of Glamorgan.

Tourists are to blame for the majority of the litter but the nation also suffers from the highest concentration of debris left by fishing and shipping vessels.