Intertidal seaweed on the seabed with turquoise waters above and the sun rays shining down into the water

Water quality

For more than 30 years we've campaigned for better water quality at our coast, putting pressure on governments and environmental regulators to protect bathing water quality.

By highlighting which beaches are too dirty to swim in, we can lobby for better legislation to protect bathing water quality and make sure that water companies invest in better sewage treatment.

Monitoring bathing water

Over 600 UK beaches are monitored for bathing water quality throughout the summer months. We recommend that water users choose a bathing water rated as ‘Excellent’ or ‘Good’, since these standards are considered to represent a low risk of illness.

You can find out more about which beaches are monitored and what the water quality is generally like, including daily water quality predictions, on the relevant country pages: England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland.

You can find out about recent sewer overflow spills at the beach on the Safer Seas Service.

Read our position statement on bathing water quality

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