2024 Bathing Water Profile for Saltburn
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Saltburn beach is a gently-sloping sandy resort beach backed by cliffs. Its principal feature is the Victorian pier. Access to the beach from the higher parts of the town can be gained via the Victorian water-balanced cliff lift.
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Redcar and Cleveland
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Redcar & Cleveland
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There are a number of combined sewer overflows (CSO) close to this bathing water, discharging via Skelton Beck and Pit Hills Stell. These were improved in the early 1990s and designed to minimise their impact on bathing waters. Significant impacts should now occur only after unusually heavy rainfall. Following an investigation into the apparent deterioration in bathing water quality, the report completed in 2012 identified that improvements were required at CSOs in Guisborough and Skelton. A scheme was completed before the 2016 bathing season to provide additional storm storage and reduce storm sewage discharging to Skelton Beck. This bathing water is included in the Surfers Against Sewage “Safer Seas Service”. This service can alert you to Combined Storm Sewer Overflow discharges via a phone App and in addition, it includes the Environment Agency Pollution Risk Forecast warnings where they are available. Further details of the service can be found at - http://www.sas.org.uk/safer-seas-service/
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Sewage from Saltburn, Skelton and Brotton used to discharge via a sea outfall which ran across rocks close to the eastern end of this beach. In the early 1990s, an interceptor sewer was built to take this to a new long sea outfall at Marske, designed to minimise the impact on local bathing waters, including Saltburn. As part of this scheme, the sewage treatment works at Guisborough was abandoned and flows from there were also diverted to the Marske long sea outfall. In 2000, a new sewage treatment works was built at Marske. As well as conventional treatment, the discharge from this is disinfected using ultraviolet light. The Environment Agency, in collaboration with Northumbrian Water and Redcar & Cleveland Council, investigated the cause of an apparent deterioration in bathing water quality in 2009. A number of sources were identified and addressed. The water company's investigation of their sewerage system identified where improvements were required and a scheme to address these was constructed which came into operation in 2016.
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For the four year (2020-2023) assessment period where data is available, seaweed (macroalgae) was assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable for 6% of visits, with 51% of visits noting the presence of seaweed (macroalgae). Environment Agency research suggests this bathing water does not have a history of large amounts of seaweed (macro algae).
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Modern sewerage systems have two separate systems, one takes foul sewage to sewage treatment, the other takes rainwater runoff through surface water drains to rivers, lakes and the sea. Misconnections occur when waste water pipes are plumbed into surface water drains instead of the foul water sewerage system. This can give rise to pollution when the waste water is discharged directly to the environment through the surface water drain. For example, a washing machine or toilet may be incorrectly plumbed so that it discharges to the surface drain rather than the foul sewage drain.
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For the four year (2020-2023) assessment period where data is available, phytoplankton (microscopic algae) was not assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable, but was observed as being present on 2% of visits. Environment Agency research suggests this bathing water does not have a history of phytoplankton blooms. The risks to human health from contact, ingestion or inhalation with marine algae that currently occur in UK coastal waters are considered to be low. However, some individuals may be more sensitive and display some reactions. A common marine algae found in UK coastal waters is Phaeocystis, which is often mistaken for sewage as it forms foam and a brown scum, but it is non-toxic.
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This bathing water is subject to short term pollution procedures. The Environment Agency makes a daily pollution risk forecast at this site based on the effects of rain, wind and seasonality on bathing water quality. These factors affect the levels of bacteria that get washed into the sea from livestock, sewage and urban drainage via rivers and streams and how they disperse. When these factors combine to make short term pollution likely we issue a pollution risk warning on this website and the beach manager will display a sign advising against bathing at the bathing water. After a short term pollution event, levels of bacteria typically return to normal after a day or so but it’s possible to have several warning days in a row. Details of the work to reduce the sources of bacteria at this bathing water are detailed in this profile. In 2023 7 pollution risk warnings were issued for this bathing water. All bathing waters have the potential to be affected by a pollution incident and if this occurs a pollution risk warning will be issued with associated advice against bathing on this website.
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2024 Bathing Water Profile for Saltburn
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2024-09-30
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2024-05-01
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Both Skelton Beck and Pit Hills Stell drain agricultural areas and carry a number of consented discharges and can temporarily impair bathing water quality after heavy rainfall.
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Improvement works were carried out in 2015/2016 when the Dunsdale sewage treatment works was decommissioned and flows diverted to Marske. The location of the outfall from Marske sewage treatment works and the level of treatment mean that this discharge has no significant impact on bathing water quality.
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Environment Agency samplers make observations of litter present on the beach at every visit, this includes assessments of sewage debris, litter and tar. At Saltburn for the four year (2020-2023) assessment period where data is available, sewage debris was not noted at this site. Litter was not assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable, but was observed as being present on 35% of visits. Tarry residue was not noted at this site.
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Our investigations have included a programme of visits to farms to identify pollution risks. Our visits and a record of pollution incidents in the catchment indicate that the main risks are the management of livestock and the associated manures and slurries. We will work with the farmers to highlight and address these risks so as to minimise the risk to bathing water quality.
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Although most of the catchment is served by public sewers, there are a number of small privately-owned discharges. The Environment Agency's investigations lead us to believe that these do not have a significantly adverse effect on bathing water quality but they have not been excluded from continued scrutiny.
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Skelton Beck enters the sea approximately 200 metres east of the pier. Its catchment is predominantly agricultural but it includes the town of Guisborough and the villages of Skelton and Brotton as well as some smaller settlements. Another smaller stream, Pit Hills Stell, enters about 400 metres to the west of the pier.
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Saltburn
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Saltburn
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Sampling point at Saltburn
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466677
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54.58679597238242
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-0.969778459729026
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521775
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Sampling point at Saltburn
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p152 dT23 h59 m59 s
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2024 05 01 t00:00:00
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2024-05-01T00:00:00
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2024 09 30 t23:59:59
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2024-09-30T23:59:59
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2024 06700:1
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Seaweed (macroalgae) and phytoplankton (microscopic algae) are a natural part of the marine and freshwater environment. Below we note whether these have been recorded in quantities sufficient to be a nuisance.
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The majority of sewers in England are “combined sewers” and carry both sewage and surface water from roofs and drains. A storm overflow operates during heavy rainfall when the sewerage system becomes overwhelmed by the amount of surface water. The overflow prevents sewage from backing up pipes and flooding properties and gardens. An emergency overflow will only operate infrequently, for example due to pump failure or blockage in the sewerage system.
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Heavy rain falling on pavements and roads often flows into surface water drains or highway drains, ending up in local rivers and ultimately the sea. The quality of bathing water may be adversely affected as a result of such events.
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It is the Environment Agency role to drive improvement of water quality at bathing waters that are at risk of failing higher standards. It is natural for water to run off the land to the sea. Water quality at a bathing water is dependent upon the type and area of land (the catchment) draining to the water and the activities undertaken in that catchment.
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Discharges from sewage treatment works have improved substantially in England since the 1980s.
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