The Solent Forum

Working in partnership for the future

SOLENT BATHING WATER QUALITY AWARDS SCHEME DETAILS AND RESULTS

Bathing Water Schemes Details

All beaches regularly used for bathing (private or Local Authority managed), non-designated as well as designated, can apply for an award under the scheme. Please contact the Solent Forum if you manage a beach or water body and would like to apply for an award, and we will include you in the next request for applications. The classification of the award is based on a minimum of 16 samples from the previous summer and assessed under the Bathing Water Regulations. Where the beach is a designated bathing water beach, the Environment Agency (EA) makes the assessment. If the beach not designated, assessments need to be sent in and verified by the EA. The samples are assessed for faecal contaminants, Intestinal Enterococci and Escherichia coli, and the overall classification of the beach at the end of the season is made to one of the following standards:

SWQA QR code
SWQA QR code
SWQA QR code
SWQA QR code

It is a condition of the award that a Bathing Water Profile is provided for each beach and that information about the award, as well as the potential for short term pollution events, is displayed at each beach. The profiles provide lots of information about the beach and include daily pollution risk forecasts based on the effects of rain, tide and wind on bathing water quality. These factors affect the levels of bacteria that get washed into the sea from livestock, sewage and urban drainage via rivers and streams and how they disperse. When these factors combine to make short term pollution likely they issue a pollution risk warning on the top of the Bathing Water Profile webpage for each beach. Further government guidance on signage is available at: Bathing water information and signage rules for local councils.

Summer Award applications 2024 (for year 2023)
  EU designated beach Bathing Water Profile link 2024 Award (based on Bathing water directive classification 2015

Chichester

 

 

 

West Wittering

yes

West Wittering

Excellent

Bracklesham Bay

yes

Bracklesham Bay

Excellent

Selsey East Beach

yes

Selsey East Beach

Excellent

 

 

 

 

IoW

 

 

 

East Cowes

Yes

East Cowes

Excellent

 

 

 

 

NFDC

 

 

 

Barton on Sea (Christchurch Bay)

 Yes

Barton on Sea

 Excellent

Milford on Sea

 Yes

Milford on Sea

 Excellent

Calshot

 Yes

Calshot

 Excellent

 

 

 

 

HCC

 

 

 

Lepe

yes

Lepe

Excellent

 

 

 

 

Gosport

 

 

 

Lee on Solent

yes

Lee on Solent

Excellent

Stokes Bay

yes

Stokes Bay

Excellent

 

 

 

 

Fareham

 

 

 

Hill Head

yes

Hill Head

Good


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