Clean Water at Kent's Beaches

28 May 2010, 06:00

Kent's beaches have been named as some of the best in the country if you want to go swimming.

Eighteen of them have got the highest standards of water quality according to the Marine Conservation Society.

They tested the water at beaches across the country between May and September last year and the South East remains one of the best performing regions with 65% of beaches being Recommended by the MCS.

There are various different awards to recognise beaches, but MCS is the only scheme that focuses entirely on water quality standards and the risk of sewage pollution.

MCS will only recommend beaches in the Good Beach Guide if they are better than the Guideline European water quality standard and are not affected by inadequately treated continuous sewage discharge.

The beaches in Kent that have been recommended are:

  • Botany Bay
  • Deal Castle
  • Dover Harbour
  • Dymchurch
  • Hythe
  • Joss Bay
  • Margate - The Bay
  • Minnis Bay
  • Ramsgate - Pegwell Bay
  • Ramsgate Main Sands
  • Sandgate Beach
  • Sandwich Bay
  • St Margaret's Bay
  • St Mildred's Bay
  • Stone Bay
  • Westbrook Bay
  • Westgate Bay
  • Whitstable West Beach

Other beaches in Kent that aren't mentioned above were either awarded Guideline status (Good water quality standard only) or got a Basic Pass (minimum water quality requirement) - no beaches in Kent failed the checks.