Everyone enjoys a day out by the sea but how good is the water?

Holidaymakers can now discover the cleanest coastline on the Isle of Wight, at the click of a button thanks to a new interactive map from Southern Water.  Click Here: to see which Island beaches are reaching high standards.

Last year, for the third year in a row, all 81 beaches along the South East coastline, that were tested weekly, by the Environment Agency passed either the guideline or mandatory values of the EU Bathing Water Directive.

With Southern Water’s new website tool ‘At the Beach’ visitors planning a trip to the beach, can just click on the satellite map to discover the water quality and facilities on offer along the South East coastline.

The company’s website has embraced Google Earth technology to make the information more easily available to Southern Water’s four million customers.

Beaches in the region which have been awarded coveted ‘Blue Flag’ status by environmental watchdog ENCAMS are marked on the map with a blue icon. These beaches boast the highest standards of cleanliness, water quality and facilities.

Peter Soulsby, Southern Water Marketing Manager, said:

“Southern Water has invested heavily in improving its coastal treatment facilities to improve water quality, so we want people in the South East to make the most of our splendid beaches.

“Now people can use our easy interactive map to find out more about the beaches and facilities nearest to them and maybe even discover somewhere new.”

The Environment Agency carries out water quality tests at 81 official beaches in the region each week from May to September.

The test results are graded as either Excellent, where they meet European guideline standards, Good, where they meet the mandatory standard, or Poor, where they do not meet basic standards.

Throughout the summer, Southern Water will update its website with the weekly test results as they are processed and supplied by the Environment Agency.