The new European Bathing Water Directive requires member states to meet revised standards by the end of the 2015 bathing season.
There will be four new standards: excellent, good, sufficient and poor.
Whilst the standards have now been agreed, the compliance assessment methodology is still subject to discussion. Notably this relates to the treatment of unusual results and samples taken in abnormal weather conditions. The indications are that these issues will be subject to the subsidiarity principle, allowing member states latitude in implementation within domestic legislation.
Notwithstanding the issues of the assessment methodology, it seems that the current guideline standards (Blue Flag quality) will be broadly comparable with the good standards of the new Directive. It is not yet decided how the new Directive will be linked to beach awards, however initial indications are that Blue Flags may require the highest water quality standard of excellent.
It is likely that excellent standards will be very difficult to achieve consistently because of the influence of diffuse and natural sources of pollution which are outside Anglian Water's control. To remove Blue Flags from resorts which have enjoyed this status for many years, because of such issues, will undermine public confidence. We will promote the linkage of the Blue Flags to good quality waters.
Given the timescales for compliance, accounting for the new Bathing Water Directive will feature in our submissions for the next Periodic Review and we need to begin work to anticipate this.
In addition to the new Directive, there are other emerging regulatory drivers that will require us to consider our impacts on coastal water quality: the proposed Marine Bill, designation of coastal waters as sensitive under the UWWTD and a possible Marine Framework Directive. Consideration of these regulatory drivers needs to be included within our planning for the new Bathing Water Directive.