Great Yarmouth's coastal bathing water rated as highest cleanest quality

Those who go for a paddle along the coastline at Great Yarmouth, Gorleston, Caister and Hemsby can be confident the waters are of the highest, cleanest quality, the top standard achieved at just 67 per cent of England's 420 bathing water locations.

The annual classification of "excellent" is based on readings taken over the last four bathing seasons, from 2015 to 2018. All of the borough's bathing water locations have achieved this rating since 2015, when the current system of classification was introduced. 

Jason Williams, Community Protection Manager at Great Yarmouth Borough Council, said: "As Norfolk's top coastal resort, thousands of people will flock to our beautiful coastline this Easter holidays, and our excellent bathing water quality is just another reason to choose the Great Yarmouth borough for your seaside break.

"While it's still a bit too cold for all but the hardiest people to actually swim in the sea, we're so proud that visitors can go for a little Easter paddle in the shallows, with the full assurance that our water is of the highest, cleanest quality in England.

"The concerted actions of public sector bodies, water companies, local farmers, businesses and communities themselves all contribute to local seawater quality. There is a clear link between the cleanliness of beaches and the cleanliness of the sea.

"As a council, we operate a dedicated beach-cleaning service and also support beach litterpick events led by dedicated volunteers. People can support these positive efforts to maintain the natural environment by always putting their litter into a bin and picking up after their dog."

For comparison, the water quality classifications for all 420 of England's bathing water locations are available here: http://environment.data.gov.uk/bwq/profiles/index.htP

Photo of the Great Yarmouth Beach - credit to James Bass.