The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) today announces that 57% of beaches in Wales are MCS Recommended - 102 out of 178 tested - in its annual Good Beach Guide (www.goodbeachguide.co.uk). This is a 2% drop on last year. Beaches failing the minimum legal standard almost doubled from 8 to 15.  MCS attributes this year's results to the impact of storm pollution on the latest bathing water tests, conducted from May to September 2007 which was the wettest summer on record. 

Welsh beaches are particularly vulnerable to storm pollution run-off from farm land which carries material like fertilizers and animal waste into the sea. There are also a high number of combined sewer overflows intermittently discharging raw sewage to the coasts of north and south Wales which need upgrading if water quality is to further improve. MCS fully supports Welsh Water's investment programme and hopes that plans by the Welsh Assembly Government, the Environment Agency and the Green Sea initiative will lead to future improvements in bathing water quality.

Across the UK as a whole, there is a 10% drop in the number of bathing beaches recommended for excellent bathing water quality compared to last year. In total, 443 (57%) UK beaches are MCS Recommended this year out of 778 tested, compared to 495 last year. This is the biggest year-on-year fall in the Good Beach Guide's 21 year history. Beaches failing the minimum legal standard more than tripled from 17 to 53. However, 443 recommended beaches across the UK is still more than double the total in the Good Beach Guide edition of 2000, which suggests that the £20 billion invested by the UK water industry has brought permanent benefit to Britain's beaches.

Thomas Bell, MCS Coastal Pollution Officer, said: "These latest MCS results buck the long term trend of cleaner bathing water but we're pinning the blame squarely on last summer's exceptionally bad weather. Heavy rain sweeps pollutants like raw sewage, street debris and animal waste directly from the land into rivers and the sea. Not all beaches are affected but the problem for swimmers is knowing when and where this has happened."

In May last year, MCS warned that climate change forecasts meant severe summer storms were likely to increase pollution around our coast, acting against future improvements in bathing water quality. MCS expects the new Government Bathing Water Regulations to now provide better public information about short-term pollution risks on Britain's beaches. However, specific counter measures are also needed including expansion of the sewer system to handle large volumes of storm water, action to address the estimated 3,500 unregulated combined sewer overflows, and a reduction in animal waste run-off from farm land.

Thomas Bell continued: "The 443 beaches we're recommending shrugged off the worst of last summer's weather, which is good. But poor quality bathing water carries health risks, so if this summer is wet then I'd advise people to use the Good Beach Guide, pick bathing beaches with a good record, and stay out of the sea for at least 24 hours after heavy storms."

The 21st edition of the Good Beach Guide is published in support of the MCS Campaign for Clean Seas, and is available online at www.goodbeachguide.co.uk from Friday 23^rd May. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) works in partnership with MCS, and the Good Beach Guide now carries information about the RNLI's national beach safety programme as well details of beaches patrolled by the RNLI lifeguards.

‘MCS Recommended' is one of five UK beach awards, but is the only scheme that focuses entirely on water quality standards and the risk of sewage pollution. MCS will only recommend beaches in the Good Beach Guide if they are better than the Guideline European water quality standard and are not affected by inadequately treated continuous sewage discharge.

The Good Beach Guide 2008 - the only independent, comprehensive guide to bathing water quality in the UK - is published online at www.goodbeachguide.co.uk from 00:01 23^rd May.

ENDS

Press Contact:

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Thomas Bell, MCS Coastal Pollution Officer - 01989 561 589 / 07796 350072 or thomas.bell@mcsuk.org

Richard Harrington, MCS Communications Manager - 01989 561 585

Gill Bell, MCS Welsh Officer - 07889 251 437

Main MCS Switchboard - 01989 566 017