Two Essex beaches lose Blue Flags for poor water quality

Two beaches in Essex have been stripped of their Blue Flag ratings after heavy summer rainfall caused a reduction in water quality.

East Beach in Shoebury and the Three Shells Beach in Southend had the award removed, with the news following hot on the heel of the loss of the rating at the nearby Chalkwell and Jubilee beaches earlier in the year.

Blue Flags are awarded in the UK for high water quality, cleanliness and safety by Keep Britain Tidy.

The news has been described as a "bitter blow" by a borough council spokesman.

Derek Jarvis, Southend-on-Sea Borough Council's executive councillor for tourism, said: "We are in the lap of the gods when it comes to the bathing water quality monitoring regime."

He revealed that twenty samples of water are sent for testing every season between May and the end of September and if the water monitoring takes place after heavy rainfall then the water quality will be adversely affected by run-off water from nearby areas.

It is thought storms washed surface run-off into the Thames Estuary, which impacted the results.

Mr Jarvis explained that the water quality readings quickly return to normal after heavy rainfall, and had the tests taken place on another day the results would have been different.

However, the local authority is now working with water authorities to improve the measures in place to reduce the impact of heavy rain and the affect it has on water quality readings.

"It should be stressed, however, that despite losing Blue Flag status Keep Britain Tidy acknowledge that it is still safe to swim off East Beach and Three Shells," Mr Jarvis concluded.

Arun District Council recently revealed that a Blue Flag obtained by a beach in Bognor is under threat after water at the resort had failed to hit the Blue Flag standard in three out of ten monthly tests this year due to floodwaters washing sewage into the sea.

Posted by Joseph Hutton