BATHING water off North East beaches has reached a record high in quality this year.
Results of tests which involved taking 20 samples at different times showed that all 34 bathing waters in the region met the EU mandatory quality standards.
The pass rate for the higher guideline standard was 91.2% – also the best on record.
Northumbrian Water said that the percentage results were the best of any water company in England and Wales.
“These are a fantastic set of results and we are immensely pleased,” said Northumbrian Water communications manager Alistair Baker.
He said that the company had been spending an average of £250m a year for more than 20 years on improvements to drinking and waste water.
“This is a reflection of all the work that has gone on and is continuing to go on, with more planned for the future,” he said.
All of the region’s Blue Flag beaches passed the guideline tests.
These are Whitley Bay, Cullercoats, Tynemouth Longsands South, King Edward’s Bay, South Shields, Whitburn North, Roker/Whitburn South and Seaton Carew Centre.
Three beaches failing the test for the higher guideline were Spittal near Berwick, Low Newton in Northumberland and Redcar Lifeboat in Cleveland.
Mr Baker said that run-off from a scrape created for wading birds near the sampling point was being investigated as a factor in the failure.
At Spittal a scheme was under way to tackle two sewage overflow points.
Spittal is at the mouth of the River Tweed which has a 4,000 square kilometre catchment area which also runs through Scotland.
All the water from this catchment flows past this bathing water where the samples are taken, so Environment Agency officers think that agricultural practices and other factors are affecting the quality of the water.
This year the beaches were judged to a higher UK guideline standard in preparation for stricter standards which will come into force for all bathing waters in 2015 as a result of the revised EU Bathing Waters Directive.
Simon Firth, environment manager at the Environment Agency, said: “We have worked with a range of people from farmers to big business to tackle pollution and ensure that beaches in the North East are something to be proud of.”
Nationally, the Environment Agency has helped to secure a further £4bn investment by the water industry in environmental improvements, including at bathing waters, between 2010 and 2015.
