BEAUTY OF THE BEACH
Isle of Wight Council has joined forces with the Environment Agency and Southern Water to launch a campaign that celebrates our coastline – and helps people play a part in keeping beaches beautiful.
Bathing waters along the 57 miles of the Isle of Wight coastline have never been cleaner in recent times but there are some simple things we can all do to keep it that way.
Councillor John Hobart, Cabinet member for environment and heritage, said: "Many people are unaware of the fact that bathing water is affected by a range of things, including contaminated rainwater running off roads and agricultural land, wastewater from privately-owned treatment works, boats and animals on the beach such as dogs and seabirds.
"We live and work in the region and are proud of our local area – that's why we want to work with people to help make our beaches the very best that they can be – a key aim of the ‘Beauty of the Beach’ campaign the council is launching.”
The way bathing water quality is measured changed in 2015 and standards are now twice as strict before – which is why the council is working even more closely with water companies, community groups and the Environment Agency to address issues which affect bathing water quality.
You can check local water quality for over 400 beaches here: http://environment.data.gov.
As well as celebrating the beautiful bathing waters in the Isle of Wight, the ‘Beauty of the beach’ social media campaign aims to help people understand more about what impacts bathing water quality and give them the power to protect their beaches by taking some simple steps.
Think BEAUTY when it comes to the beach
B is for bag it and bin it - just like humans, dogs love the beach. If you bring your dog with you, please pick up its poo in a bag and bin it.
E is for environment - leaving litter can be lethal, not just for wildlife but also for the health of our beaches. Take recyclables home to put in your green bin and put non-recyclable in your waste bin.
A is for avoid feeding – don’t give the birds your ice cream or BBQ leftovers when you’re at the beach. When they flock for tasty morsels, they tend to pooh, which in turn pollutes bathing water.
U is for u-bend - the pipes in your home can get blocked with wet wipes, cotton buds and grease. Please don’t flush anything other than pee, pooh and toilet paper.
T is for tidy up litter - we all have a part to lay in improving our beautiful coastline. Take your litter home or get involved in a beach clean or litter pick. Check online for local groups.
Y is for yellow! It’s important that we don’t waste water, so think about water use and find ways to be water smart and also save on your water bill. If it’s yellow, let it mellow; if it’s brown, flush it down!
Find out more about the ‘Beauty of the beach’ campaign here: https://www.southernwater.co.
