A major survey of Ayrshire's bathing water quality is to go ahead despite the failure of a local council to give financial backing.

West of Scotland Water has announced that the second phase of an investigation into why the water quality on parts of the Clyde coast is consistently below accepted standards is to go ahead.

The water authority will provide the bulk of the #168,000 needed to complete the investigation, although it has secured #20,000 from the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency and #10,000 from South Ayrshire Council.

But its council neighbour in North Ayrshire, however, failed even to discuss any financial backing despite the fact that much of the survey work would be carried out in the Garnock and Irvine rivers which lie within its area.

It is understood that the council was approached for assistance, but it was decided that there was nothing in the budget for such things and there was little point in the request going further.

A council spokeswoman said: ''There was nothing in the budget to cover this, so it did not go to the relevant committee or to the council. We are offering assistance to the project in the form of information and the supply of a Portakabin.''

Field teams from the universities of Leeds and Wales will carry out studies during August and September and will be on constant stand-by to ensure that sampling is taken under a wide range of climatic conditions.

This phase is a follow-up to a statistical survey earlier this year which indicated that agricultural waste in rivers and other water courses might be adversely affecting water quality in the sea.

Mr David Stevenson, of West of Scotland Water, said: ''This is an important survey which will give a wide range of information based on samples from a variety of sewerage outfalls into water courses which feed rivers and ultimately the bathing water.

''We want to work as a partnership to ensure that the best water quailty is available off our shores.''

Councillor David Munn, vice chair of infrastructure and environment services with North Ayrshire, said: ''The first I knew about this was when it was raised at a meeting of the West of Scotland Water board, which I joined in January.

''I believe this is an important undertaking which could have a long-term effect on bathing water quality in an area where we are trying to boost tourism for the next century.''