A DRIVE to improve the water quality in a river that affects bathing water of a popular seaside town underway.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) is redoubling its efforts to work with farmers along the river Clwyd to reduce pollution from agriculture, which can have a detrimental impact on Rhyl beach.

For the last four years, quality assessments have deemed waters at Rhyl Beach as sufficient; Annual ratings classify each site as excellent, good, sufficient or poor.

Over the coming months, staff from NRW will visit more than 400 farms in the lower Clwyd area and provide advice on how best to protect the river from agricultural pollution.

Measures include making sure slurry is managed and spread carefully, avoiding run-off from compacted soil, preventing stock from entering streams, controlling run-off from dairy tracks and ensuring clean and dirty water are kept separate.

Bethan Beech, NRW team leader for Denbighshire, said: "One of our priorities is to maintain and improve the water quality of bathing waters and Rhyl Beach is a key area of work for us.

"In recent years, we’ve ensured improvements in major sewage infrastructure in the lower Clwyd, including Welsh Water’s assets, private dischargers and urban drainage.

"But we know there is more that can be done to reduce small-scale pollution from agriculture.

"By making lots of small, individual improvements I hope we can enjoy cleaner rivers and bathing waters."

Paul Williams, Clwyd county chairman of National Farmers Union (NFU) Cymru, said: "Farmers take their environment responsibilities seriously and we are pleased to work with the partnership of organisations to support farmers to take action to improve water quality where this is needed."

Farmers will be invited to meetings in prioritised areas and a national awareness programme is set to be launched.