THE Weston MP said the news that Weston, Uphill, and Sand Bay have been rated as ‘poor’ in the latest bathing water quality results is “disappointing, albeit not surprising”.

MP Dan Aldridge said "we know this government has a huge job to reform the water system and restore it to health,” after the data released by DEFRA.

Residents raised their concerns on this issue during the General Election campaign, he said.

The recent introduction of the Water (Special Measures) Bill to Parliament will significantly strengthen the power of water regulators, giving them powers to put failing water companies under special measures, the MP also added.

Last week Mr Aldridge told Emma Hardy MP, the Government's Water Minister, “the anxiety we have in Weston-super-Mare that our bathing water quality continues to be classed as poor”.

They discussed some of the changes needed by the water system, which included:

• Removal of fixed bathing water season dates (which currently runs from May to September) from the regulations to allow for a more flexible approach to monitoring, extending the dates of the bathing season to better reflect when people use bathing waters.

• Expanding the legal definition of ‘bathers’ to include participants in water sports other than swimming, including paddle boarders and surfers.

• Further considering water quality and public safety when applications for new bathing waters are assessed.

• Introducing multiple testing points at bathing water sites.

• Ending the automatic de-designation of bathing water status after five consecutive years of a site being rated ‘poor’, which can damage local tourism and businesses.

Instead, underperforming sites will be individually reviewed by regulators, taking into account their unique circumstances.