Burnham-On-Sea beach has failed to meet European standards for water quality during Environment Agency testing over the summer months, it was revealed on Tuesday (November 8th).
The beach at Burnham Jetty was one of only 11 out of 191 tested in the South West that failed to meet the standard, leaving it among 5.8% of beaches which failed. The town passed the EU test last year.
Burnham did pass the bathing water quality standard set by the Environment Agency, however it did not meet the more stringent European standards which are set to become the minimum requirement from the year 2015.
Sedgemoor District Council, which manages the beach at Burnham, said this week that work is underway to improve water quality.
“We are working with farmers, land owners and Wessex Water to find the problems and raise the sea water quality in Burnham,” spokeswoman Claire Faun told Burnham-On-Sea.com.
“We want to get it up to an adequate rating as a minimum in time for the new European standards and are taking steps towards that.”
The Marine Conservation Society praised the standard of Burnham’s bathing waters in May this year, as we reported here.
The Environment Agency took weekly samples between May and September to determine the water quality.
Pictured: Burnham jetty, and above, the Environment Agency sea water testers at work
