All eight of the island’s designated bathing waters have met top quality standards but swimmers should avoid three popular beaches.

Of the designated bathing areas, North Ramsey and Glen Wyllin have retained their ‘excellent’ classification but Port Erin has gone down from ‘excellent’ to ‘good’ which has been blamed in part on unseasonably wet weather over the summer.

However, Castletown has gone up from ‘sufficient’ to ‘good’ while Bay ny Carrickey, Douglas Central, South Ramsey and Port St Mary have all retained their ‘good’ status.

But three non-designated bathing areas that have failed to reach even the minimum standard.

Douglas Summerhill, Peel and Fenella have all failed to meet the standards which is mainly down to the lack of sewage treatment works. But there was better for Laxey which has jumped from ‘insufficient’ to ‘good’.

Two other non-designated areas - Derbyhaven and Port Lewaigue - have ‘excellent’ ratings while Douglas Broadway, Port Grenaugh and Port Soderick all have ‘good’ ratings.

No applications were received from any local authorities requesting designation of any new bathing waters for the 2024 season.

Millions of litres of untreated sewage continues to be pumped into Peel and Laxey bays.

Peel beach and Peel Castle

The good news for Peel is that the new wastewater treatment works will begin within the next couple of months after a drawn out planning process. There are also plans for a new treatment works at Laxey which is currently going through a consultation process.

The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA) 2024 Bathing Water report says: ‘Applications have previously been received for the designation of Peel, Fenella and Laxey, however due to insufficient sewerage infrastructure these were not progressed.

‘The department will liaise with the relevant LAs when the necessary improvements to the sewerage infrastructure are due to be completed.’

The Environmental Protection Unit carries out bathing water sampling during the bathing season over a 20-week period from May 1 to September 18. Samples are analysed for faecal indicator organisms.

Local authorities were first invited to apply for a location to be designated as a bathing water in 2021.

Three new designated bathing waters were approved for the 2023 bathing season - Glen Wyllin, North Ramsey and Bay ny Carrickey.

The report says 93% of Escherichia coli (EC) and 93% Intestinal Enterococci (IC) results there achieved ‘excellent’ or ‘good’ classification.

The report concludes by saying: ‘The department will continue to monitor the data during the 2025 bathing season and investigate any elevated results.

‘The department continues to work with landowners and Manx Utilities to ensure the best bathing water quality by reducing agricultural pollution and overflows from the sewerage networks during periods of adverse weather.

‘Following planning approval, work has recently commenced on a sewage treatment works for Peel, which (when finished and operational) will enable Peel and Fenella to be designated as bathing waters if the local authorities apply to the department.’

The same system of testing will be carried out from May to September in 2025 with designated bathing areas being tested weekly and non-designated areas every four weeks.