The Environment Agency has reported that last year, the English coast was the cleanest since records began, with 99.5% of swimming spots passing water quality tests compared to just 65% in 1988.

However, last week the Agency warned that a record number of England's beaches are at risk of failing to meet tougher European Union water quality standards coming into force. The beaches will be under the microscope this summer - the new European standards will be twice as tough to pass in a bid by the EU to drive up standards across Europe.

In response the Environment Agency is urging water companies, businesses, farmers, local authorities and householders to continue to take action, reduce pollution and improve bathing water quality further.

From now until September, the Environment Agency will carry out its annual water quality test programme at more than 400 beaches and lakes. The results will then be made available to beach-goers in close to real-time on the Environment Agency’s new Bathing Water Explorer website.

Dramatic improvements have already been made over the last two decades to prevent pollution ending up in the sea.

Since 1990, water companies have spent £2 billion on improvements to protect bathing waters and they have pledged to invest a further £350 million over the next 5 years. Local councils have also worked to keep beaches clean and increase the information available to the public.

The Environment Agency has pledged that by working with water companies, farmers and local communities 6,000kms of rivers and 50 bathing waters will be improved over the next 5 years.

However, the Agency said the most important short term influence on water quality will always be the weather. Heavy rain can cause pollution to flow into the sea and sunlight kills off bugs in the water.

As part of the new EU standards from 2016, local councils will have to display signs at all bathing waters showing if the new measures have been passed and whether or not swimming is advised. Anyone can check bathing water quality for a specific beach or lake on the new Bathing Water Explorer website.

The annual results for 2015 will use the revised Bathing Water Directive for the first time. They will be announced at the end of the year by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs. Annual results under the new directive will use a combined average of four years’  worth of tests. Samples have been tested using both sets of standards since 2012.