Tenby’s much-loved North Beach has failed to gain a Blue Flag award due to a drop in water quality.

It has been confirmed that North Beach whose responsibility lies with Pembrokeshire County Council, did not apply for, and was therefore not awarded, a Blue Flag Award in the 2026 Wales Coast Awards. This is due to a drop in water quality from ‘excellent’ to ‘good’.

North Beach also failed to retain the award in 2022 and 2023 for the same reason, after more than 25 consecutive years of being recognised as one of the best beaches in Wales.

Awarded by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), the Blue Flag is one of the world’s most recognised awards, requiring beaches and marinas to adhere to specific criteria ensuring the beach or marina is clean, safe, and well-managed, promoting sustainability and attracting visitors.

Environmental charity Keep Wales Tidy, confirmed that Tenby’s South and Castle beaches, both picked-up the Blue Flag Award this year.

Natural Resources Wales is said to be currently actively investigating the reason for the drop in water quality but a cause has not yet been determined.

Owen Derbyshire, Chief Executive of Keep Wales Tidy, said the news was ‘incredibly disappointing’ and that the organisation is committed to working with authorities across Wales to support North Beach in restoring its water quality and regaining its Blue Flag Award.

“Like many people in Wales, Tenby’s North Beach holds happy memories for me and I share the sadness of all those who will be disappointed by this news,” he remarked.

“It is an important local beauty spot and key tourist attraction, and the announcement will come as a blow to local residents, business owners who rely on tourism and, of course, the hundreds of thousands of tourists who visit the beach every year.

“That said, a ‘good’ standard of water quality means North Beach still ranks highly among beaches in Wales, and we would like to commend all those involved in managing all the other elements of the award, such as sustainability and providing the highest quality of visitor experience, which are all essential factors in a coastal location gaining a Blue Flag Award.

“Wales is lucky to have some of the best beaches in the world. But that doesn’t happen by accident. We need clear policy and a renewed commitment to ensure our coastline retains its high standards of cleanliness and effective management so that they continue to attract tourists and remain well-used by local people for generations to come,” he added.

North Beach hosts the start of the Ironman Wales triathlon every September, where thousands of competitors take to the sea for the event; as well as the swim leg of the Long Course Weekend, which returns in June.

It is also the spot where hundreds take to the water in fancy dress for Tenby’s annual Boxing Day Swim to raise money.

County councillor for Tenby’s North Ward, Cllr Michael Williams stated: “This is a serious issue which will seriously impact the tourist industry as well as potentially the health and wellbeing of water users and the wider population.

“It is intolerable that in this day and age the public should have to so frequently be failed by water regulators, not only on the North beach each issue, but on water quality.”

A Welsh Water/Dŵr Cymru spokesperson said: “At North Tenby, the classification moved from ‘Excellent’ to ‘Good’ following the results of samples taken during July and August.

“These samples are collected by NRW and test for two different types of bacteria. These bacteria can originate from a range of environmental sources, and it is important to note that there were no storm overflow spills in this area in the weeks leading up to the dates those samples were taken.

“Improving water quality is a shared challenge, and progress will only come through coordinated action across sectors. Factors such as rural land use, urban runoff, industry, soil erosion, illegal misconnections and private septic systems all play a part.

“We are committed to playing our role. We are currently investing more than £2.3 million a day to improve our services, including £2.5 billion between 2025 and 2030 to deliver environmental improvements across Wales.”

A spokesperson for NRW said: “Protecting and monitoring Wales’ bathing waters is one of our key responsibilities.

“These sites are valued places for people to swim, paddle, surf and spend time outdoors.

“As part of our monitoring, we take samples from each designated bathing waters during the bathing water season, which runs from 1 May to 30 September.

“Samples are collected and sent to our laboratory to test for two types of bacteria that indicate contamination from human or animal waste: Escherichia coli (E. coli) and intestinal enterococci (IE).

“At the end of the season, the data is analysed alongside results from the previous three years to classify the bathing water quality at each site.

“Classifications range from Excellent and Good to Sufficient and Poor. The results are published annually by Welsh Government and are available on the Bathing Water Data Explorer on our website.

“The water quality at Tenby’s North Beach changed in 2025 from Excellent to Good.

“Over recent decades, bathing water quality across Wales has improved significantly, reflecting long-term collaboration with water companies, local authorities, landowners and other partners.

“In 2025, 110 out of 112 designated bathing waters met the required standards. Of these, 78 bathing waters were rated Excellent, 26 were Good and six were Sufficient, with work ongoing at the two Poor sites to find the causes and improve water quality.

“While progress continues, protecting and improving bathing waters remains an ongoing priority to safeguard these important places for people, wildlife and the wider environment.”

Before visiting a bathing water site

Pembrokeshire County Council has also been approached for comment.