Most of the region's beaches are fine and clean places to bathe - although four stretches of coast have fallen down the water quality league because of heavy summer rains, it was revealed today.
Most of the region's beaches are fine and clean places to bathe - although four stretches of coast have fallen down the water quality league because of heavy summer rains, it was revealed today.
The annual survey by the Marine Conservation Society(MCS) showed that beaches in Lowestoft, Yarmouth, Caister, Hemsby, Sea Palling, Mundesley Cromer, Sheringham and Hunstanton's main beach had excellent water quality last year - achieving recommended status.
But the MSC report only gives basic pass grades to Southwold, Gorleston, Heacham and parts of Hunstanton - meaning they only passed the mandatory EC test for sea water quality.
Wells was given a guideline grading from the MSC which said the north Norfolk beach had good water quality only.
For Southwold's two beaches on the list and Wells and Heacham, today's ratings were lower than last year's survey results.
The other beaches retained their same quality status - apart from Sheringham, Yarmouth's south beach and Hunstanton's main beach which were all promoted to the recommended rating.
Only 370 out of 777 of beaches nationally - 47.5pc - were given the recommended status by the MCS for excellent water quality.
The drop of 16.5pc in the number of recommended beaches compared to the previous year is the largest in the survey's 22 years.
Explaining the reasons for the fall in excellent water quality, Thomas Bell, MCS pollution officer, said: 'Today's results reflect last summer's heavy rain which swept waterborne pollutants, like raw sewage , petro-chemicals and farm waste, into rivers and the sea.'
The beach survey was carried out between May and September last year and the results will be included in the MCS 22nd Good Beach Guide.
Mr Bell said: 'We are recommending 370 beaches for excellent water quality this year- which is good. We advise people to do three things - pick bathing beaches with a good quality water record, stay out of the sea for at least 24 hours after heavy storms and report pollution problems.'
www.goodbeachguide.co.uk
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