Letter: Beach standards

The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) Good Beach Guide is the only award focusing on water quality alone, and was established to push for better water quality and improved public information. All beach awards (your report, 24 May) use the same data collected by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, but we apply the strictest criteria.

MCS does not recommend beaches that have had any sample fail the legal minimum European Union standard, and considers all samples, including those which can legally be waived.

Unless there are electronic water quality prediction signs advising the public against bathing, we do not recognise "abnormal weather waivers".

St Andrews East and West Sands each had three waivers, respectively discounting two and one failed samples, therefore in the absence of such signs, by our criteria East Sands failed and we could not recommend West Sands. However, applying the waivers, EU Guideline water quality status was legally achieved, enabling Blue Flag Award status.

A particular concern across the UK is dilute sewage from combined sewer overflows (CSOs), designed for overloaded sewerage systems during heavy rainfall but which also discharge at other times.

At least 120 Scottish coastal sites, including the St Andrews beaches, have one or more CSOs. Although many don't cause a problem, we did not recommend 55 per cent of Scotland's tested beaches due to pollution, and believe CSOs are partly to blame.

They should be mapped, monitored and the public made aware when, and for how long, they discharge.

We warmly welcome the extensive sewage network upgrades to date, but more investment is needed to ensure the tougher bathing water standards are met in 2015, monitoring for which starts next year.

Calum Duncan

Marine Conservation Society

Coates Place

Edinburgh