2024 Bathing Water Profile for Newbiggin North
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Newbiggin North Beach is a gently sloping sandy resort beach at the northern end of Newbiggin Bay. It is approx 500 metres in length and is backed by a promenade which runs around the whole length of the bay.
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Northumberland
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Northumberland
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Newbiggin SSO (a combined sewer overflow) can occasionally discharge onto the beach in extreme wet weather. Attlee Terrace sewage pumping station has an emergency overflow which can discharge to the beach. This would only operate when the pumping station is inoperative due to pump failure, power failure or failure of the rising main. 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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During 1992/1993 a long sea outfall, designed to ensure bathing water compliance, was installed to discharge sewage approximately 1.3 kilometres offshore. Flows from the short sea outfalls at Church Point and Summerhouse Lane were diverted to this. In 2000 to comply with the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive a new sewage treatment works was built providing further treatment to the discharge. After several years of acceptable bathing water quality, a deterioration prompted the Environment Agency to ask Northumbrian Water to investigate the probable cause. The investigation highlighted the cause as the combined sewer overflow at the inlet to the sewage treatment works. A scheme to solve this problem was drawn up however in the meantime the coastal defence was installed. This structure has changed flow patterns and has deflected the discharge from the bay and improved water quality. The Environment Agency will continue to monitor the situation but it appears that no further intervention is required.
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During the 2007 bathing season a coastal defence structure was created to protect the bay. This has led to a subsequent but unplanned improvement in bathing water quality.
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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 5% of visits, with 92% 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 noted at this site. 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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There are no active pollution risk forecasts made at this bathing water. However any bathing water has the potential to be affected by a pollution incident and if this occurs a pollution risk warning with associated advice against bathing will be issued on this website.
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2024 Bathing Water Profile for Newbiggin North
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2024-09-30
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2024-05-01
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There are no sewage treatment works outfalls directly on to the bathing area, sewage from the Newbiggin and Ashington areas is treated at Newbiggin Sewage Treatment Works which has a long sea outfall designed not to impact on the bathing beach.
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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 Newbiggin North for the four year (2020-2023) assessment period where data is available, sewage debris was not assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable, but was observed as being present on 3% of visits. Litter was not assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable, but was observed as being present on 89% of visits. Tarry residue was not noted at this site.
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The catchment directly behind the bathing water is urban with no natural surface waters discharging on to the beach.
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Newbiggin North
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Newbiggin North
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Sampling point at Newbiggin North
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431280
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55.18440846275651
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-1.51032213701256
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587900
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Sampling point at Newbiggin North
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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 04400:1
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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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