2024 Bathing Water Profile for Silecroft
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Silecroft bathing water is a remote, steeply sloping, pebbly beach levelling out to flat sand closer to the sea. At high water the sand is completely covered.
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Copeland District
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Cumbria
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The bathing water quality at Silecroft is good as a result of its isolated location on the West Cumbrian coast. Survey work carried out by the Environment Agency has shown that discharges from overflows on Walney Island can reach Silecroft bathing water. However, the impact on water quality is minimal due to the large distance from Walney Island to Silecroft and the time taken for any discharges to reach the bathing water. Flows from the River Annas and Ravenglass harbour, both located to the north of Silecroft, can reach the bathing water under certain weather conditions but the impact on bathing water quality is minimal.
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During 2011 a first time sewerage scheme was completed by United Utilities in the village of Silecroft providing a foul sewerage network for the properties. This should improve the quality of the Silecroft Beck and the bathing water quality at Haverigg to the south of Silecroft, as well as bathing water quality at Silecroft itself.
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To help improve bathing water quality we are working alongside Local Authorities through a LOVEmyBEACH campaign. Further information can be found at http://lovemybeach.org/
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For the four year (2020-2023) assessment period where data is available, seaweed (macroalgae) was not assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable, but was observed as being present on 64% of visits. 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. Phytoplankton (microscopic algae) naturally increase in number at certain times of the year. This process is known as a phytoplankton bloom. 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 Silecroft
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2024-09-30
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2024-05-01
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There is a small stream flowing across the beach at its northern end. The quality of this stream is good and there are no known impacts on the bathing water.
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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 Silecroft 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 44% of visits. Tarry residue was not noted at this site.
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The Sellafield nuclear site is located on the West Cumbrian coast just north of the village of Seascale. The site which covers an area around four square kilometres is bordered on the western edge by the coastline. The Environment Agency permits waste disposal from the site, including discharges via a pipeline into the Irish Sea. The Environment Agency monitors seawater, sediment and seaweed at beaches in West Cumbria and publishes the results in an annual Radioactivity in Food and Environment Report (https://www.gov.uk/monitoring-radioactivity). The reduction in aerial and liquid discharges over the last three decades has been dramatic.
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To the southern end of the bathing water there is a discharge to ground waters from a privately owned property. A short distance inland is a sewage treatment works serving a holiday park. This provides a high level of treatment including disinfection to protect bathing water quality. The Environment Agency regulates both discharges and there are no known impacts on bathing water quality.
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The beach is on the South West Cumbrian coast in a rural area dominated by livestock farming. Silecroft village, lying a short distance inland from the bathing water, is very small and sits within the Lake District National Park boundary. Most streams higher in the catchment flow into the River Duddon and there are some smaller, more local streams which flow across the beach to the sea.
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Silecroft
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Silecroft
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Sampling point at Silecroft
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312000
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54.218948132063815
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-3.35108537499338
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481200
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Sampling point at Silecroft
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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 45200:1
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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's 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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