Swimming at our beaches
For advice on open water swimming, which is swimming anywhere that isn’t a public pool, see Public Health England’s Swim Healthy information.
If you plan to swim, the Environment Agency provides information on over 400 bathing waters in England including beaches and lakes. Knowing more about water quality can help you make informed choices about your trip to the beach.
19 beaches in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole area are currently sampled for bathing water quality during the summer months (May to September) by the Environment Agency.
We make the information available to the public by displaying it on notice boards. These notices indicate the bathing water quality (excellent, good, sufficient, or poor) at each beach in the area.
For further information, and to check the beaches in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole area, including the latest sampling results, please see the Environment Agency website.
The data also provides information on the pollution risk – this may increase, for example, on a rainy day. You can also visit Wessex Water for the most up-to-date information on each beach before you swim.
Actions you can take to help
Good water quality is down to everyone. Here are a few simple actions you can take to help:
- only flush the 3 Ps – poo, pee and paper
- never pour fats and oils down the sink
- never flush wet wipes and sanitary products down the loo
- always bin or take your rubbish home from the beach
- always bag and bin your dog’s poo
- never pour waste liquids or throw litter down surface water drains .