2019 Bathing Water Profile for South Shields
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South Shields Beach is a resort beach south of the mouth of the River Tyne. It is a gently sloping sandy beach, 1.5 kilometres long.
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South Tyneside
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Tyne & Wear
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There are no emergency or storm discharges directly to the bathing water nor adjacent to it. However, in wet weather, storm discharges to the Tyne Estuary can cause some deterioration of water quality.
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The sewerage system in South Shields has directed flows to outfalls in the Tyne Estuary and away from the beach. In the late 1970s/1980s, an interceptor sewer was built to take sewage to a new treatment works at Howdon.
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For the four year (2015-2018) assessment period where data is available, seaweed (macroalgae) was not assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable, but was observed as being present on 18% of visits. 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 (2015-2018) 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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2019 Bathing Water Profile for South Shields
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2019-09-30
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2019-05-01
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There are no streams or rivers which discharge directly on to the bathing beach however, in wet weather, storm discharges to the Tyne estuary can cause some deterioration of water quality.
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In 2000, the treatment works at Howdon was upgraded to provide a higher level of treatment and disinfection using ultraviolet light. The location of the outfall and the level of treatment mean that this discharge now has no perceptible 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 South Shields for the four year (2015-2018) 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 8% of visits. Tarry residue was not noted at this site.
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The beach is close to the mouth of the River Tyne, which has a catchment of approximately 3000 square kilometres. It rises in Pennine moorland, draining a largely agricultural catchment before reaching the sea via an urban/industrial estuary. There are no local streams that can affect bathing water quality and the Tyne is deflected away from the beach by the piers at its mouth.
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South Shields
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South Shields
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Sampling point at South Shields
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437900
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54.99974636302765
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-1.409085633008525
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567400
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Sampling point at South Shields
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p152 dT23 h59 m59 s
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2019 05 01 t00:00:00
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2019-05-01T00:00:00
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2019 09 30 t23:59:59
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2019-09-30T23:59:59
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2019 05300:1
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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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