Near perfection...

Today, the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Environment Agency announced that the South West has the best quality bathing waters in the UK. Bathing waters are nearing perfection around the region's coastline and breaking records for the third consecutive bathing season.

Near perfection...

Water quality continues to rise with over 99% of the region's bathing waters meeting the required standards. That's an increase of over 1% since last year.

One hundred and forty one bathing waters are regularly monitored in Devon and Cornwall by the Environment Agency. Devon has achieved 100% compliance for the first time ever. Region-wide compliance with the more stringent Guideline Standard also remains amongst the best in England and Wales at around 82% and reached a record 88% in Cornwall.

South West Water has made a major contribution to bathing water quality through the successful £1 billion 'Clean Sweep' programme to clean up coastal waters. Twelve years into the programme over 40 major schemes have brought high quality sewage treatment to many places for the first time. Almost all of the 230 crude sewage outfalls around the region have now been closed for good and those remaining will be closed by 2005.

This huge improvement is providing an environmental transformation for many of the country's most famous and beautiful beaches.

"This is an outstanding achievement for the region and guarantees a better quality of life for local people while encouraging tourism", said Stephen Bird, South West Water's Operations Director. "We have successfully built new sewerage systems for the 21st century and safeguarded the outstanding beauty of the region's coastline".

A £27 million 'Clean Sweep' project for the Taw-Torridge estuary was completed in December 2002 which ensured that Instow waters in North Devon complied for the first time ever. The improvements put in place last year at Plymouth and Par have also delivered compliance as planned in 2003. The bathing waters at Looe already receive flows which have benefited from ultra violet disinfection at a state of the art works. The standard of these waters could be affected by many sources of diffuse pollution.

-ENDS -

For further information please contact Dina Chandler, Communications Officer on 01392 443021.

Bathing Water
2003
2002

Lyme Regis Church Beach
Pass
Pass

Lyme Regis Cobb
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Seaton (Devon)
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Pass (G)

Beer
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Pass

Sidmouth Town
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Sidmouth Jacobs Ladder
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Ladram Bay
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Pass

Budleigh Salterton
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

SandyBay
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Exmouth
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Dawlish Warren
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Dawlish Town
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Pass (G)

Dawlish Coryton Cove
Pass
Pass (G)

Teignmouth Holcombe
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Teignmouth Town
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Shaldon
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Ness Cove
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Maidencombe
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Watcombe
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Pass (G)

Oddicombe
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Babbacombe
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Meadfoot
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Beacon Cove
Pass (G)

Torre Abbey
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Hollicombe
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Pass (G)

Paignton Preston Sands
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Paignton Paignton Sands
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Goodrington
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Broadsands
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Pass (G)

Shoalstone
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St.Mary`s Bay
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Blackpool Sands
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SlaptonSands Monument
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Slapton Sands Torcross
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Mill Bay
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Salcombe North Sands
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Salcombe South Sands
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Hope Cove
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Pass (G)

Thurlestone South
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Thurlestone North
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Bantham
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Bigbury-on-Sea South
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Bigbury-on-Sea North
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Challaborough
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Mothecombe
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Wembury
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Pass (G)

Bovisand
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Plymouth Hoe East
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Plymouth Hoe West
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Fail (1) (2)

Kingsand
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Pass (G)

Cawsand
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Portwrinkle
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Downderry
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Seaton (Cornwall)
Pass (G)
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Millendreath
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East Looe
Fail (2) (2)
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Readymoney
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Pass (G)

Polkerris
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Pass (G)

Par
Pass
Fail (2) (0)

Crinnis Golf Links
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Crinnis Leisure Centre
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Pass (G)

Charlestown
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Duporth
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Porthpean
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Pass (G)

Pentewan
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Polstreath
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Port Mellon
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Gorran Haven Little Perhaver
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Gorran Haven (Vault)
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Porthluney
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Pass (G)

Pendower
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Porthcurnick
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Gyllyngvase
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Pass (G)

Swanpool
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Pass (G)

Maen Porth
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Pass (G)

Porthallow
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Porthoustock
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Pass (G)

Coverack
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Pass (G)

Kennack Sands
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Pass (G)

Pollurian Cove
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Pass (G)

Poldhu Cove
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Pass (G)

Porthleven West
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Pass (G)

Praa Sands East
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Praa Sands West
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Perran Sands
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Pass (G)

Mounts Bay Little Holgus
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Mounts Bay Heliport
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Mounts Bay Penzance
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Mounts Bay Wherry Town
Pass (G)
Pass

Porthcurno
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Sennen
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Porthmeor
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Porth Gwidden
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Porthminster
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Carbis Bay Station Beach
Pass
Pass (G)

Carbis Bay Porth Kidney Sands
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

The Towans (Hayle)
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

The Towans (Godrevy)
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Portreath
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Porthtowan
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Trevaunance Cove
Pass (G)
Pass

Perranporth Village End
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Perranporth Penhale Sands
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Holywell Bay
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Pass (G)

Crantock
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Fistral
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Towan
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Great Western
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Pass (G)

Tolcarne
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Pass (G)

Lusty Glaze
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Porth
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Pass (G)

Watergate
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Mawgan Porth
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Porthcothan
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Treyarnon Bay
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

ConstantineBay
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Mother Ivey`s Bay
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Harlyn Bay
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Trevone Bay
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Rock
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Pass

Daymer Bay
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Polzeath
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Trebarwith Strand
Pass (G)
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Crackington Haven
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Widemouth Sand
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Bude Summerleaze
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Bude Crooklets
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Bude Sandy Mouth
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Hartland Quay
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Westward Ho!
Pass (G)
Pass

Instow
Pass
Fail (1) (2)

Saunton Sands
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Croyde Bay
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Woolacombe Putsborough
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Woolacombe Village
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Barricane Bay, Woolacombe
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

IlfracombeTunnels Beach
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Ilfracombe Capstone (Wildersmouth)
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Pass

Ilfracombe Hele
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Combe Martin
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Pass

Lynmouth
Pass (G)
Pass (G)

Published: 2 November 2003