The three beautiful Kent bathing spots which have failed water quality standards with 'harmful bacteria'

Figures just released show three lovely swimming spots in Kent which have failed water quality tests during 2024 because of harmful bacteria. Rivers, lakes and beaches were monitored, and those which failed in Kent are much-loved places where people like to get in the water.

The well-known places in Kent failed to meet the minimum standards for water quality set by the Environment Agency, which has released its findings.

The testing was carried out by the agency during May to September, and it found harmful bacteria at the popular beaches. This saw the three Kent places rated "poor" for water quality.

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Minister for water and flooding Emma Hardy said: “These figures are unacceptable and show that too many of our popular swimming spots are polluted.”

Across England, the monitoring exposed double the number of bathing spots failing the test, with 37 sites graded poor, representing 8.2 per cent of the sites.

The beaches in Kent rated "poor" for water quality are: Dymchurch, Littlestone and Deal Castle beach. Surfers Against Sewage chief executive Giles Bristow said the bathing water classification regime “isn’t just inadequate, it’s misleading and needs radical reform”.

He said a year-round bathing consultation was needed to reflect how people used their local waters, with multiple monitoring points and testing for a wide range of pollutants.

River Action chief executive James Wallace said the results were an “international embarrassment”.

Mr Wallace said: “The Government’s own data shows that swimming in our inland bathing sites poses serious health risks, highlighting the failure of regulators to protect waterways from polluters.

“Awarding bathing water status should ensure that water companies clean up their act urgently,” he said, calling for all bathing sites to have an automatic change to permits requiring water companies to remove bacteria and other pollutants such as PFAS – “forever chemicals” – and drugs."

'Further action is needed'

Water UK, which represents water companies, said the quality of English bathing water remained high, in stark contrast to the 1990s when less than a third of waters would have met current standards.

“However, any drop in standards is a cause for concern and we agree with the Environment Agency that further action is needed to improve bathing water quality.

“This year saw a record number of new bathing water designations and, while water companies are supporting communities to improve new bathing areas, it will take time and investment for real change to be seen,” the spokesperson said.

Emma Hardy, minister for water and flooding, said the Government was putting water companies under special measures through the Water Bill, which would strengthen regulation of the industry. She has launched a review of the water sector.

The monitoring system has faced criticism from campaigners for failing to test popular swimming sites out of season, only monitoring once a week at a single spot on a beach, and for being able to discount some samples if they are taken during short-term pollution events or highly unusual conditions.

What is the Environment Agency?

The Environment Agency is sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. It was set up in 1996 to "protect and improve the environment". It employs 12,000 people. It has the following responsibilities:

• regulating major industry and waste

• treatment of contaminated land

• water quality and resources

• fisheries

• inland river, estuary and harbour navigations

• conservation and ecology

It is also responsible for managing flood risks from main rivers, reservoirs, estuaries and the sea. You can find out more here.