Environment Agency - Home

Bathing water quality in the East Midlands

The East Midlands has some of the best quality beaches in England and Wales. There are 7 designated bathing water beaches where water quality is regularly monitored between May and September each year. These are shown in the map on the right of the page.

The quality of our bathing waters has historically been poor, mainly due to out-dated Victorian sewage works trying to cope with an increase in the amount of sewage from popular seaside resorts; but water quality has improved in recent years, mainly due to improved sewage treatment.

At a glance

  • In 2006, all of the East Midlands sites complied with mandatory European bathing water standards
  • 6 of these beaches also achieved much tougher guideline standards

Although bathing water has improved in recent years due to better sewage treatment, pollution from diffuse sources, such as run-off from agricultural land, towns and cities, is becoming an increasing threat.