The Environment Agency has ranked water quality at official swimming spots across the UK, including those in Sefton and Wirral. Fortunately, no swimming spots in Merseyside have fallen into the 'poor' category.
Ratings explained
Every year, the Environment Agency (EA) assesses the water quality of officially designated bathing spots. From those, the EA gives the water one of five ratings: Excellent – the highest, cleanest class; Good – generally good water quality; Sufficient – the water meets minimum standards; Poor – the water has not met the new minimum standards.
The vast majority of sites have been given either excellent (66%) or good (21%). This means 6% are rated sufficient, and 7% are rated poor. That’s a total of 32 bathing spots given the worst possible water quality rating.
Full list of 'poor' rated sites
The following official bathing sites have received a 'poor' water quality rating:
- Tynemouth Cullercoats, North Tyneside
- Littlehaven Beach, South Tyneside
- Derwent Water at Crow Park, Cumberland
- Haverigg, Cumberland
- Blackpool North, Blackpool
- River Ribble at Edisford Bridge, Ribble Valley
- Nidd at the Lido, Knaresborough, North Yorkshire
- Scarborough South Bay, North Yorkshire
- Wharfe at Cromwheel, Ilkley, Bradford
- Wharfe at Wilderness Carpark, Leeds
- River Severn at Ironbridge, Telford and Wrekin
- River Teme in Ludlow, Shropshire
- River Severn in Shrewsbury, Shropshire
- Sheep's Green, River Cam, Cambridge
- Wolvercote Mill Stream, Oxford
- Bognor Regis (Aldwick), Arun
- Worthing Beach House, Worthing
- Southsea East, City of Portsmouth
- River Avon at Fordingbridge, New Forest
- Dymchurch, Folkestone and Hythe
- Littlestone, Folkestone and Hythe
- Weston-super-Mare Uphill Slipway, North Somerset
- Weston Main, North Somerset
- Weston-super-Mare Sand Bay, North Somerset
- Lyme Regis Church Cliff Beach, Dorset
- River Frome at Farleigh Hungerford, Somerset
- River Tone at French Weir Park, Somerset
- Dunster Beach, Somerset
- Blue Anchor West, Somerset
- Stoke Gabriel, Dart Estuary, South Hams
- Steamer Quay, Dart Estuary, South Hams
- Coastguards Beach, Erme Estuary, South Hams
