A beach in Ayr could lose its bathing water status after receiving four ‘poor’ water ratings in a row.

South Beach has yet again received a poor rating from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency for the quality of its water.

This means that the levels of bacteria E Coli and intestinal enterococci detected in the water breach European safety limits.

The breach is said to be due to sewage and run-off from agriculture.

If a location receives a poor rating five years in a row then it will be closed to bathers.

But if this is to happen it will not be until 2022,

Calum McPhail, bathing water unit manager at SEPA, said: “Due to the delayed bathing season in 2020, with only seven weeks available for sampling and limited laboratory capacity due to COVID-19, there will not be the required number of samples as detailed in regulations to provide meaningful end of season classifications in 2020.

“A Bathing Water does risk de-designation if it has five consecutive poor overall water quality classifications.

“South Beach currently has four. As there are no classifications for 2020 it will be a Bathing Water in 2021. If a poor classification is given after next year’s bathing water season it would not be listed as a designated Bathing Water in 2022, and would then have general advice against bathing displayed at the beach.”

Heads of Ayr beach, close to holiday park Craig Tara, narrowly escaped being closed off for bathing after receiving four poor ratings in a row before an excellent for this year.

We reported last year how the beach faced closure unless an improvement was seen.

SEPA’s predicted classifications which they update on a regular basis as opposed to the annual classification has said that Heads of Ayr was predicted poor on August 18, 21 and 26 in contradiction to the excellent annual certification.

McPhail said: “One of the biggest impacts on the water quality at bathing waters is the weather, especially heavy rain such as Scotland experienced in recent weeks. Bathing is not advised during, or one to two days after, heavy rainfall as there’s always a risk that water pollution may occur. All poor results in Scotland so far this year have been due to the weather.”