Wirral has some great coastal spots, with West Kirby and New Brighton in particular being frequently recognised as two of the best beaches in the North West.
But before you set off into the open water, you may question how clean is the water you're submerging your body into.
The Environment Agency collects water quality data each year from May to September to ensure that designated bathing water sites on the coast and inland are safe and clean for swimming and other activities.
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A classification for each bathing water site is calculated annually. These, best to worst, are "excellent", "good" or "sufficient".
Based on the latest data released by the government yesterday, in Wirral we're lucky to have no beaches and inland water that fail the water quality standard, with all our swimming destinations rated either 'excellent' or 'good'.
Beaches and inland waters in West Kirby, Meols, Moreton and Wallasey are among 29 areas in the North West that met the revised water quality standards initially introduced in 2015.
West Kirby, Meols and Moreton were all rated 'excellent', while Wallasey was also rated 'good'.
But just in case you're planning a venture outside of the borough, it is best to be informed on the region's cleanest swimming spots.
North West beaches classed as 'excellent':
- West Kirby
- Meols
- Moreton
- Formby
- Bispham
Silecroft
St Bees
- Walney Biggar Bank
- Walney Sandy Gap
- Walney West Shore
- Windermere, Lakeside YMCA
- Windermere, Millerground Landing
- Windermere, Rayrigg Meadow
- Windermere, Fellfoot
North West beaches classed as 'good':
- Wallasey
- Ainsdale
- Southport
- St Annes
- Blackpool South
- Blackpool Central
- Cleveleys
- Fleetwood
- Morecambe South
- Morecambe North
- Haverigg
- Seascale
- Allonby
These were the only two beaches in the region that were classed as 'sufficient.
Two classed as 'sufficient' are:
- St Annes North
- Blackpool North
Across England 99% of bathing waters met the quality standards following testing at over 400 designated sites, with 94.7% of beaches gaining an 'excellent' or 'good' rating, while only 4.3% achieved the minimum 'sufficient' rating.
Bathing waters are monitored for sources of pollution known to be a risk to bathers’ health, with up to 20 samples taken from each site during the bathing season. Each sample is tested for bacteria, specifically E coli and intestinal enterococci.
The EA has been monitoring bathing water sites since the 1990s, and in this time there have been significant improvements.
Chair of the EA, Emma Howard Boyd, said: "With billions spent on seaside visits every year, we know good water quality helps coastal towns prosper.
"We cannot afford to be complacent. Public confidence in water quality has faltered in recent years with new evidence of pollution incidents getting much needed attention as a result of some excellent campaigning.
"The polluter must pay. To restore trust, water companies, industry and farmers need to get the basics right or face legal action."
