Whitstable Bay Water Body
Moderate ecological status
Get Whitstable Bay data
Attributes
- Water Body IDGB640604290000
- Water Body TypeTransitional Water
- Hydromorphological designationheavily modified
- NGRTR0767569096
- Surveillance Water BodyYes
- Surface area25.795 km2
- Surface area2579.489 ha
Classifications
Classification Item | 2019 | 2022 |
---|---|---|
Ecological | Poor | Moderate |
Biological quality elements | Poor | Good |
Invertebrates | Good | Good |
Infaunal Quality Index | Good | Good |
Phytoplankton | Poor | Good |
Physico-chemical quality elements | Moderate | Moderate |
Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen | Moderate | Moderate |
Dissolved oxygen | High | High |
Supporting elements (Surface Water) | Moderate | Moderate |
Mitigation Measures Assessment | Moderate or less | Moderate or less |
Specific pollutants | High | High |
Arsenic | High | High |
Chromium (VI) | High | High |
Copper | High | High |
Iron | High | High |
Un-ionised ammonia | High | High |
Zinc | High | High |
Chemical | Fail | Does not require assessment |
Priority hazardous substances | Fail | Does not require assessment |
Benzo(a)pyrene | Good | |
Benzo(b)fluoranthene | Good | |
Benzo(g-h-i)perylene | Fail | |
Benzo(k)fluoranthene | Good | |
Cadmium and Its Compounds | Good | |
Dioxins and dioxin-like compounds | Good | |
Heptachlor and cis-Heptachlor epoxide | Good | |
Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD) | Good | |
Hexachlorobenzene | Good | |
Hexachlorobutadiene | Good | |
Mercury and Its Compounds | Fail | |
Nonylphenol | Good | |
Perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS) | Good | |
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) | Fail | |
Tributyltin Compounds | Good | |
Priority substances | Good | Does not require assessment |
Fluoranthene | Good | |
Lead and Its Compounds | Good | |
Nickel and Its Compounds | Good | |
Octylphenol | Good | |
Trichloromethane | Good | |
Other Pollutants | Does not require assessment | Does not require assessment |
Investigations into classification status
Classification Element | Cycle | Year | Status | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|---|
Phytoplankton | 2 | 2015 | Moderate | Uncertain there is a problem |
Reasons for not achieving good (RNAG) and reasons for deterioration (RFD)
All reasons (RFDs and RNAGs) attributed to the classification elements in this water body.
Reason Type | SWMI | Activity | Category | Classification Element | More information |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
RNAG | Unknown (pending investigation) | Unknown (pending investigation) | Sector under investigation | Phytoplankton | Details |
RNAG | measures delivered to address reason, awaiting recovery | Not applicable | No sector responsible | Mercury and Its Compounds | Details |
RNAG | Unknown (pending investigation) | Unknown (pending investigation) | Sector under investigation | Benzo(g-h-i)perylene | Details |
RNAG | measures delivered to address reason, awaiting recovery | Not applicable | No sector responsible | Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) | Details |
RFD | Unknown (pending investigation) | Unknown (pending investigation) | Sector under investigation | Phytoplankton | Details |
RNAG | Physical modification | Other (not in list, must add details in comments) | Local and Central Government | Mitigation Measures Assessment | Details |
RNAG | Point source | Sewage discharge (continuous) | Water Industry | Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen | Details |
RNAG | Diffuse source | Poor nutrient management | Agriculture and rural land management | Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen | Details |
Reasons for not achieving good status by business sector
The issues preventing waters reaching good status and the sectors identified as contributing to them. The numbers in the table are individual counts of the reasons for not achieving good status with a confidence status of 'confirmed' and 'probable', where the latest classification is less than good status. There may be more than one reason in a single water body. Note, table does not include reasons for deterioration.
Significant water management issue | Physical modifications | Pollution from waste water | Pollution from towns, cities and transport | Changes to the natural flow and level of water | Invasive non-native species | Pollution from rural areas | Pollution from abandoned mines |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Agriculture and rural land management | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Industry | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Mining and quarrying | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Navigation | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Urban and transport | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Water Industry | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Local & central government | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Domestic general public | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Recreation | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Waste treatment and disposal | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
No sector responsible | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Sector under investigation | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Objectives
Classification Item | Status | Year | Reasons |
---|---|---|---|
Ecological | Moderate | 2015 | Disproportionately expensive: Disproportionate burdens; Disproportionately expensive: Unfavourable balance of costs and benefits |
Biological quality elements | Good | 2021 | Disproportionately expensive: Disproportionate burdens |
Invertebrates | Good | 2021 | Disproportionately expensive: Disproportionate burdens |
Phytoplankton | Good | 2021 | Disproportionately expensive: Disproportionate burdens |
Physico-chemical quality elements | Moderate | 2015 | Disproportionately expensive: Unfavourable balance of costs and benefits |
Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen | Moderate | 2015 | Disproportionately expensive: Unfavourable balance of costs and benefits |
Dissolved oxygen | Good | 2015 | |
Hydromorphological Supporting Elements | Not assessed | 2015 | |
Supporting elements (Surface Water) | Good | 2027 - Low confidence | Disproportionately expensive: Disproportionate burdens |
Mitigation Measures Assessment | Good | 2027 - Low confidence | Disproportionately expensive: Disproportionate burdens |
Specific pollutants | High | 2015 | |
Arsenic | High | 2015 | |
Chromium (VI) | High | 2015 | |
Copper | High | 2015 | |
Iron | High | 2015 | |
Un-ionised ammonia | High | 2015 | |
Zinc | High | 2015 | |
Chemical | Good | 2063 | Natural conditions: Chemical status recovery time; Technically infeasible: No known technical solution is available |
Priority hazardous substances | Good | 2063 | Natural conditions: Chemical status recovery time; Technically infeasible: No known technical solution is available |
Benzo(a)pyrene | Good | 2015 | |
Benzo(b)fluoranthene | Good | 2015 | |
Benzo(g-h-i)perylene | Good | 2033 | Technically infeasible: No known technical solution is available |
Benzo(k)fluoranthene | Good | 2015 | |
Cadmium and Its Compounds | Good | 2015 | |
Dioxins and dioxin-like compounds | Good | 2015 | |
Heptachlor and cis-Heptachlor epoxide | Good | 2021 | Natural conditions: Chemical status recovery time |
Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD) | Good | 2015 | |
Hexachlorobenzene | Good | 2015 | |
Hexachlorobutadiene | Good | 2015 | |
Mercury and Its Compounds | Good | 2040 | Natural conditions: Chemical status recovery time |
Nonylphenol | Good | 2015 | |
Perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS) | Good | 2015 | |
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) | Good | 2063 | Natural conditions: Chemical status recovery time |
Tributyltin Compounds | Good | 2015 | |
Priority substances | Good | 2015 | |
Fluoranthene | Good | 2015 | |
Lead and Its Compounds | Good | 2015 | |
Nickel and Its Compounds | Good | 2015 | |
Octylphenol | Good | 2015 | |
Trichloromethane | Good | 2015 | |
Other Pollutants | Does not require assessment | 2015 |
Protected areas
PA Name | Id | Directive | More information |
---|---|---|---|
Thanet Coast & Sandwich Bay | UK9012071 | Special Protection Area | Natural England |
Thanet Coast & Sandwich Bay | UK11070 | Ramsar Site | Natural England |
Swalecliffe | UKSW28 | Shellfish Water Directive | |
Swale East | UKSW26 | Shellfish Water Directive | |
Outer Thames Estuary | UK9020309 | Special Protection Area | Natural England |
Sheppey | UKSW27 | Shellfish Water Directive | |
Tankerton | UK12120 | Bathing Water Directive | |
The Swale | UK9012011 | Special Protection Area | Natural England |
The Swale | UK11071 | Ramsar Site | Natural England |
Leysdown | UK12000 | Bathing Water Directive | |
West Beach, Whitstable | UK12100 | Bathing Water Directive |
Monitoring sites which have been used to classify this water body
Shows which sites were used for classification for which years within each cycle.