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Bathing waters

Find out how the Environment Agency monitors and assesses the quality of bathing waters in England and Wales and what the water is like at your favourite beach.

Bathing waters near you

red bucket and pink spade on a beach

Use our search tool to investigate bathing water quality near you.

Video: How clean is your bathing water?

Lab worker testing a water sample

This short film tells the story of how the Environment Agency is working to improve bathing water quality in England and Wales.

The Environment Agency and bathing waters

Two boys enjoying the surf

Tell us

Two Environment Agency Officers standing on a beach looking at sampling equipment

Find out how to report bathing water pollution, tweet about your local beach or send us your photographs and films of beaches.

 

Bathing water news

Read our press releases for the latest news and developments on bathing waters.

Revised Bathing Water Directive

Read about the revised Bathing Water Directive which sets higher bathing water quality standards to be achieved by 2015.

Bathing Waters

Find out how good the bathing waters are near you - enter your postcode or place name