It is not safe to swim or play in the water hereNewsDaniel Clark Content Editor , David Dubas-Fisher and Oliver Astley Content editor
10:16, 13 Apr 2025Updated 10:18, 13 Apr 2025
Weston-super-Mare beach where bathing is not advised(Image: Getty)
Swimmers are being warned to steer clear of the water at a number of popular beaches near Bristol. Now we’re into the Easter holidays, countless families will be heading for the seaside but a few are plagued with low water quality and people are advised to stay on the sand rather than take a dip in the water and risk health problems.
Out of 425 official bathing spots designated by the Environment Agency across England, tests have identified 18 with “poor” water quality where swimming is not advised, including five where the water quality has got worse, having last year met the required standards. We have an interactive map at the bottom of this article to show you the bathing spots to avoid in the West Country and around the UK.
Weston-super-Mare’s main beach is among those flagged. It is popular with both day-trippers and locals on fine spring days and throughout the summer season but the water quality is poor here. Water quality is also described as poor at Nearby Sand Bay and Uphill Slipway, two more no-go zones for swimmers. Bathing is actively discouraged at these three beaches.
The Environment Agency has issued permanent advice against swimming in the areas around Burnham Jetty North. The area lost its status as a designated bathing water a number of years ago due to poor water quality that shows little sign of improving.
The Environment Agency says the beach sits at the mouth of two large rivers, the Brue and Parrett which greatly influence the bathing water quality. It reports: “Despite extensive investigations and investment bathing water quality cannot be guaranteed to achieve the sufficient standard required under the Bathing Water Regulations.”
Further around the coast is Dunster Beach, favoured by those seeking solace from busier nearby Minehead Beach. Last year, a few Somerset beaches were named among the dirtiest in England and were cheekily given ‘Brown Flag’ status by people campaigning for cleaner beaches, reports SomersetLive.
In response to the concerns raised about water quality, North Somerset Council stated in December 2023 that a renewed effort was underway between the council and various partners to better understand and enhance the water conditions along their coastline.
Matt Lenny, the Director of Public Health at North Somerset Council, aimed to calm any worries, saying: “I’d like to reassure everyone who uses our beaches and might feel worried about these results.
“There’s no pass/fail standards for individual water samples. Instead, the classification is based on a statistical measure of all samples over a four-year period. A sample simply tells us the quality of the water at that specific time, but water can change even over the course of one day.
“We have an active signage system in place at Weston’s main beach which uses a prediction forecast to let swimmers know if there’s potential for lower water quality in real time.
“We want to make sure all our beachgoers are well informed so they can choose how best to enjoy their time on our coastline.”
You can see all the bathing spots that the Environment Agency advises against bathing in by using our interactive map:
Other parts of the country fared better, with Littlestone in Kent being rated “good”.
Three other locations were rated “sufficient” – Porthluney in Cornwall, Southsea East in Portsmouth, and St Annes North in Blackpool – while the River Deben Estuary in Suffolk was not assessed last year.