TOWNSPEOPLE are being urged to do their bit as the authorities work to improve water quality at Burnham beach with the holiday season fast approaching.

It is likely the beach’s water will be classified as “poor” when samples are taken at the end of this summer, due to stricter EU regulations, meaning bathers will be advised against entering the water.

But a steering group set up to improve the area’s bathing wawater hopes that if the beach does receive the lowest rating then work already under way will help it improve quickly.

The Bathing-Water Steering Group is a multi-agency body made up of Sedgemoor District Council, the Environment Agency, Wessex Water, the NHS and the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural affairs (Defra), among others, and members are urging townspeople to help in their bid to improve the water rating.

A district council spokesperson said: “We are working with numerous agencies to get the water standard where it needs to be.

“Wessex Water is working to improve the sewer and drainage connections and the farming community is working to improve the run-off from the land.

“However, it’s important everyone does their bit.

“It’s about education and changing the way people think.

“There is so much that gets flushed down the drain that shouldn’t be – such as cooking fats and other objects.

“Okay, it might flush away from your home or business, which solves your problem, but if thousands of homes are doing the same thing then it becomes everybody’s problem.”

The spokesperson added: “Dog owners should make sure they pick up after their pets, especially on the beach. Otherwise the mess will simply end up in the water.”

The EU Bathing Water Directive includes four classification categories: excellent, good, sufficient and poor. Samples of seawater will be taken from the beach this September and if the water is rated “poor” then signs will be put up next summer recommending that people do not swim.

But authorities are keen to point out that this does not mean the water quality has worsened - the regulations have altered. The steering group will then have five years in which to take measures to improve the bathing water quality.

After that, if the targets are not met, the signs will be made permanent. Despite the likelihood of a “poor” rating, Mayor of Burnham and Highbridge Martin Cox believes the town can still be proud of its beach. He said: “Water quality is one of our top concerns for the area and a lot of work is going in to improve it.

“However, we still have seven miles of golden beaches and we have a very good reputation with holidaymakers.

“The water quality hasn’t changed, it’s the way it is measured, but we are working to improve it as fast as we can.”