SAS clean water campaigners were joined on Peacehaven Beach by Peacehaven Town Council officials yesterday to start Peaceavens bathing water designation process yesterday, 30th September, which marks the official end to the bathing season in England and Wales. SAS handed over a petition from water users supporting SASs Love Your Beach campaign, which hopes to see the recreational waters at Peacehaven receive full EU bathing water designation.

On Valentines Day this year SAS launched their Love Your Beach campaign, which enables recreational water users to apply for bathing water designation for their recreational water sites, providing them with extra protection and facilities under current legislation. Bathing water designation is awarded predominantly on user numbers and supporting facilities, and the UK has been requested by the European Union to increase their number of bathing waters.

Currently recreational waters have little or no protection, but the step up to designated bathing waters sees recreational water site facilities dramatically improve. Getting a site classified as an EU bathing water can be a sure-fire way of winning environmental improvements, which can help make a beach cleaner and safer for everyone to use. Throughout the summer, beaches designated as bathing waters benefit from weekly water quality testing, improved litter management and better safety facilities that help the public better enjoy their time spent at the beach.

SAS believe that Peacehaven is the perfect example of heavily used recreational water that doesnt currently receive the levels of protection afforded to a designated bathing water. Since early August over 50 people have committed to using Peacehaven for recreational water activity on a regular basis. Given this strong show of support SAS contacted the Peacehaven Town Council and were extremely pleased to hear that Peacehaven Town Council supports the campaign too. Yesterday lead us one step closer to a landmark victory for the area as SAS handed over the petition and assisted the council in applying to DEFRA to secure bathing water designation for Peacehaven beach.