The latest sample of water tested at Broughty Ferry beach is to be discounted by the authorities responsible for the coveted Blue Flag awards system.
The sample collected on July 22 has been granted an “abnormal weather waiver,” a step taken when unusually heavy rainfall is thought to have skewed the results.
The news will come as a relief to officials and volunteers, who have worked tirelessly to achieve the high standards required for a Blue Flag beach.
As The Courier reported last week, if Broughty beach racks up just one more below-par water quality result it will lose its hard-won status.
However, a number of other criteria are taken into account, and representatives from Keep Scotland Beautiful, the organisation that runs the award scheme here, were at Broughty beach on Tuesday to spread the word to visitors on how they can help.
Beach and coastal awards campaign co-ordinator Suzanne Roberts said the abnormal weather waiver means the sample will be taken out of the set of results considered when deciding if Broughty Ferry should retain its Blue Flag, though details of the water quality will still be posted on notice boards at the beach.
“It is more important to us to make sure that people do know what the water quality is, providing information to the public so they can make informed choices,” she added.
Yesterday’s event was essentially about environmental education, providing information on the need to clean up after dogs on the section of the beach they are allowed to visit, and reminding people not to leave their litter behind.
“We are also educating members of the public about the Blue Flag and its importance to Broughty Ferry,” Suzanne said. “It is a fun day and we have had activities like litter relays for the kids. Everybody has been great and we have had a lot of positive comments and a lot of people saying how much the beach has improved over the past few years.
“We met people who hadn’t been back here in 15 years. Their reaction was, ‘What a difference’, and they were really enjoying being here,” she said.