A Pembrokeshire seaside resort which has seen downgrading of its bathing water quality has called a public meeting with the fellow guardians of its waters.

Amroth Community Council was joined by Natural Resources Wales (NRW), Dŵr Cymru and Pembrokeshire County Council for the meeting last week.

The downgrade of the Amroth water from ‘excellent’ to ‘good’ was mainly as a result of a sample taken last August.

An investigation into the sample was launched by NRW but could not identify the cause of its quality.

Beach checks

The authority has now invited representatives from the public meeting at Amroth to join them for their beach checks prior to the official water sampling period.

“This will allow them to see first-hand the work we carry out to protect our bathing waters,” said Caroline Drayton, NRW's south west operations manager.

The meeting on Tuesday February 20 came shortly after a report was issued by the Llanteg and Amroth Renaturing Committee which monitored a stream running into the bay at Amroth.

The one-year study identified ‘widespread pollution’ from 268 water quality tests.

Five pollution incidents were reported to Natural Resources Wales, and ‘high levels’ of nitrates and phosphates were found in the watercourse, known as the New Inn Stream.

Support

Amroth Community Council (ACC) said after the meeting that it would be supporting NRW in its work to keep bathing water at the usual high standard at Amroth.

A spokesperson from the council said: "The public meeting helped councillors and attendees understand better how water quality testing works and how to interpret the results.

"ACC will keep in close contact with all organisations protecting Amroth’s waters to monitor and ensure that quality is maintained."

'No pollution sources'

Ms Drayton from NRW said that the investigation into the result of the water sample taken last August saw an inspection of the the beach, the streams which run onto it, and  sites in the area which may have been a potential source of contamination.

"No pollution sources, nor visible water quality issues, were found," she added.

She continued: "Protecting and improving our water quality is one of our top priorities. We will continue to use our powers to drive further improvements and collaborate with partners to address the many water quality challenges.

A spokesperson from Dŵr Cymru commented: “We take the important role that we - along with others - have to play in protecting bathing water quality very seriously.

“The meeting in Amroth was an opportunity for our colleagues to present on all the work we are already doing to protect the bathing water at Amroth and wider Pembrokeshire, including rivers.

“As always, we remain committed to working with others and the local community for the benefit of the local bathing water."

'Fantastic' quality

Ms Drayton added: "Overall, Pembrokeshire has fantastic bathing water quality. We have 29 identified bathing waters from Poppit Sands in the north to Amroth in the south.

"Following the 2023 bathing season, 27 of these beaches were classified as excellent, which is the highest possible category for water quality. This is testament to the hard work of our teams and our partners on both a local and national level to look after the quality of our bathing waters.

"Incidents reports from communities, businesses or holidaymakers are vital in helping us to build a picture about pollution impacts.

How to report

"Please don’t hesitate in reporting something of concern to us. The sooner we know about it, the sooner we can respond. You can do this by calling our 24/7 incident hotline on 03000 65 3000 or via an incident form on our website.

"Information about where to find designated bathing waters, and the standard of bathing water is available on NRW’s website. This is regularly updated during bathing water sampling season, which takes place between May and September each year.

Pembrokeshire County Council commented:  “Pembrokeshire County Council has an important role in beach management and works closely with partners and stakeholders in terms of messaging and incident management.”