Marine Conservation Society Press Release
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MCS GOOD BEACH GUIDE 2010: Scottish Beaches Not As Clean As They Were Last Year According To Marine Conservation Society
28th May 2008
The Marine Conservation Society is recommending 39 Scottish bathing beaches for excellent water quality in its annual Good Beach Guide (www.goodbeachguide.co.uk), that’s two less than last year. 105 beaches were tested and the number of failures has dropped this year to 13 sites from 17 sites last year.
Bathing water quality in Scotland has been declining since a peak in 2004 when MCS recommended 56 beaches - almost half of all sites tested. MCS believes that fewer beaches are now reaching its stringent water quality standards because heavy summer rains are carrying raw sewage out of the sewer system through combined sewer overflow pipes, and pollutants like animal waste, fertilisers and refuse are being washed from farm land and city streets into rivers and the sea.
Results weren’t available for six beaches in the west Highlands, all of which were MCS recommended in last year’s guide.
The latest bathing water tests were conducted from June to September 2009 which was wetter than normal in most areas, particularly the Scottish Borders and Western Scotland. According to climate data from the Met Office, the summers 2007 to 2009 combined were the wettest period since 1914 for the UK as a whole.
MCS is concerned that the current situation in Scotland may further deteriorate when new stricter bathing water standards are introduced in 2015. Under this new regime, 28 (35%) of Scotland’s beaches will fail the new minimum water quality standard if nothing’s done to improve them.
Thomas Bell, MCS Coastal Pollution Officer, said: “Our campaign work is focused now on the degree to which combined sewer overflows are to blame for bathing water pollution and what can be done about it. Scotland has a large network of these pipes on the coast which are designed to carry sewage out of flooded sewer systems and deposit it in rivers or the sea.”
“MCS knows of at least 135 Scottish coastal sites with one or more of these pipes. There are many places where they don't cause a problem but 63% of tested beaches aren't recommended by MCS because of pollution, a percentage which is set to go higher with tougher standards from 2015. We believe that CSOs are partly to blame.”
MCS hopes that planned investment programmes by Scottish Water over the next five years to extend sewage systems and reduce raw discharges, coupled with a reduction in the number of unsatisfactory combined sewer overflows and emergency overflows, will benefit bathing waters.
MCS recognises the success of electronic live forecasting signs advising swimmers about bathing water quality at 11 beaches around the Scottish Coast and welcomes the plans from the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency to expand the programme to other beaches.
MCS will continue to support these efforts on the coast through the Scottish Bathing Water Review Panel and Clean Coast Scotland.
Calum Duncan, MCS Scottish Conservation Manager said: “We’re recommending 39 beaches for excellent water quality this year, which is good, but poor quality bathing water carries health risks. MCS advises people to use the Good Beach Guide and do three things; pick bathing beaches with a good water quality record, stay out of the sea at any beach for at least 48 hours after heavy storms and report pollution problems to us via the Good Beach Guide website.”
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) works in partnership with MCS, and the Good Beach Guide carries information about the RNLI’s national beach safety programme as well details of beaches patrolled by the RNLI lifeguards and Local Authority 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 23rd edition of the Good Beach Guide is published in support of the MCS Campaign for Clean Seas & Beaches. It’s the only independent, comprehensive guide to bathing water quality in the UK is available online at www.goodbeachguide.co.uk from 00:01 28th May.
ENDS
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