‘Excellent, good and poor’ - South Tyneside’s bathing water quality ratings revealed

The Environment Agency released its annual ratings for South Tyneside’s bathing water quality on Tuesday, November 25.

For the first time, Marsden Bay has achieved an ‘Excellent’ rating, which was based on water sampled taken throughout the season.

The rating means that beach-goers can enjoy the highest standard of water quality at one of the borough’s most scenic coastal spots.

Inspections from the Environment Agency also revealed that Sandhaven Beach has retained its ‘Good’ rating, while Littlehaven Beach remains at ‘Poor’.

Littlehaven was newly designated as a bathing water site last year and it is common for newly-classified sites to receive a low rating.

South Tyneside Council has confirmed that it is working with the Environment Agency and Northumbrian Water to investigate the causes of the poor water quality at Littlehaven.

It is aiming to develop an action plan with the organisations to improve the water quality in the coming years.

Councillor Ernest Gibson, Lead Member for Neighbourhoods and Climate Change, said: “Our stunning beaches are a huge asset to the borough and keep both residents and tourists coming back to our seafront time and time again.

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“We are delighted that Marsden Bay has been recognised as Excellent, giving beachgoers the confidence that they are entering the highest quality waters.

“Littlehaven’s rating is as we expected, and we continue to work with our partners, monitoring the water and identifying measures to drive improvement.

“However, we know this is not going to happen overnight and anticipate it will take several years for the water quality to reach the standard we’d like.

“Having these official ratings helps us to better protect the health of those entering the water at these locations as well as giving visitors up-to-date information and the confidence to make informed decisions about where they choose to bathe.”

The local authority has also reassured members of the public that Littlehaven Beach remains a safe spot for local residents to enjoy - with the pier positions making the waters safe for sports and recreation, it can also make it more vulnerable to pollution.

Extensive sampling has been carried out over the course of the last year in the bay and on the River Tyne to identify sources of pollution contributing to the poor water quality.

Innovative techniques such as drones and rapid testing devices to collect data will be used going forward to help make improvements as quickly as possible.