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Excellent Water Quality at Minster Leas and Sheerness

Written by on 27 November 2018

For the fourth successive year two of Sheppey’s beaches have reached the highest standard of water quality.

Both Minster Leas Beach and Sheerness Beach have once again received an excellent rating for the quality of their bathing water, and Leysdown Beach has achieved the good rating.

The ratings from the Environment Agency are based on more than 30 monitored measures at over 400 bathing waters in England between May and September every year.  The ratings show the quality of the bathing water over time, helping reassure people that it is safe to swim in the water.

Leysdown had regained the excellent rating last year, but monitoring over the summer found slightly higher levels of pollution in the samples which did not meet the exacting standards required for an excellent rating but were well within those for achieving a gold rating.

To help Leysdown regain and sustain the excellent  rating level, Swale Borough Council are working with Southern Water as part of their £5 million investment to improve water quality for the Isle of Sheppey beaches through their Bathing Water Enhancement Programme.

 

Cllr David Simmons, cabinet member for the environment and rural affairs at the council said:

I am delighted that Minster Lees and Sheerness have continued to meet the exacting high levels of quality for their bathing water.”

“This year we have continued to work hard with our partners and the public to keep the beaches clean and safe, and given their popularity, we are lucky that most people clean up after visiting.”

“Our high expectations mean we are naturally disappointed with the result at Leysdown, but the water quality is still good, and Southern Water are committed to identifying and addressing the causes of the occasional fluctuations to the results.”

 

To find out more about local beaches, visit www.swale.gov.uk/seafront