Water quality of beaches 'at risk from livestock'

The water quality on beaches in Scotland is being put at risk as a result of wastewater from nearby farmland, it has been said.

According to Central Aryshire MP Brian Donohoe, water running off from roads and sites where livestock live is a threat to the country's shores, the Irvine Herald reported.

He said: "It has been widely recognised by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and Audit Scotland that diffuse pollution is now the largest threat to the quality of Scotland's water and not sewage."

Mr Donohoe added that Scottish Water is continuing to test for contamination on Scotland's beaches and have invested more than £1 billion over the next five years in an attempt to make their systems more reliable so that wastewater is not leaked on to beaches.

Last month, the Department for Environment and Rural Affairs announced that more money will be put into reducing the amount of pollution created by farms in an attempt to improve the water quality of nearby streams, rivers and coastline.

Posted by Claire Manning