NEARLY every one of Devon and Cornwall’s 155 monitored bathing waters meets the minimum standards for bathing water quality, the Environment Agency (EA) has said.

The EA carried out sampling at each one of its monitored sites between May and September, collecting 7,420 samples during this year’s bathing season.

The sampling showed that bathing water quality hit the EA’s minimum standard for 98 percent of Devon and Cornwall’s beaches, compared with 96 percent the previous year.

82 percent of sites meet the EA’s classification for ‘Excellent’, with 13 percent achieving a classification of ‘Good’.

Three percent of sites were given a classification of ‘Sufficient’, and just two percent of sites failed to meet minimum standard.

Environment Agency’s Area Environment Manager, Bruce Newport, said: ‘We’ve taken thousands of samples from Devon and Cornwall’s 155 monitored bathing waters this summer.

‘Our sampling results drive investment across all sectors based on a four-year period of consistent results.

‘They are not designed to give instant information about if it’s safe to swim.

‘What we do is to take a long-term view on how clean beaches and rivers are so people can make an informed choice where to bathe.’

This year, five beaches in Devon and Cornwall improved their bathing water classification, with three of the new estuarine sites meeting minimum standard and above.

Those improving from ‘Good’ to ‘Excellent’ are Hollicombe, Long Rock, Paignton Sands and Porthminster.

Improving from ‘Sufficient’ to ‘Good’ is Goodrington.

Devon’s first non-coastal monitored bathing waters were designated earlier this year and receive their first classification based on one season’s worth of sampling, instead of the typical 4 years of data.

These were all in the Dart Estuary and include Steamer Quay (Poor), Stoke Gabriel (Sufficient), Dittisham (Good) and Warfleet Creek (Excellent). Coastguards Beach at Erme Estuary was also a new site and classed as Poor.