WESSEX Water’s online water quality service has been launched for a third year running to provide real-time information about the quality and cleanliness of the beaches in Dorset.

The Coastwatch service has gone live again, in time for the bathing water season, which started on Wednesday.

The facility provides information for all designated bathing waters along the 348 miles (560km) of coastline in the Wessex Water region, alongside individual bathing water classifications from Defra.

Last year nearly 8,000 people logged onto use the service and Wessex Water said that it expected there to be further interest this year.

Ruth Barden, environment and catchment strategy manager at Wessex Water, said: “Our region has among the cleanest beaches in the country and improving sewage treatment processes and upgrading infrastructure has ensured that water quality continues to meet the expectations of customers and holiday makers.”

Find the tool at www.wessexwater.co.uk/water-and-sewerage/coastwatch.aspx.