2024 Bathing Water Profile for Bridlington South Beach
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Bridlington South Beach is a large beach resort situated on the Yorkshire coast. It is approximately 1 kilometre in length with a gentle slope. At low tide a large area of the beach is exposed, and the water's edge can be some distance away. The seafront is backed by a promenade and tourist establishments and behind this residential properties and the town of Bridlington. The Gypsey Race, the stream that runs through the centre of Bridlington, drains into Bridlington Harbour, a commercial harbour. The harbour entrance is to the north of Bridlington South bathing beach.
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East Riding of Yorkshire
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East Riding of Yorks
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The Environment Agency works with the water companies, local authorities and others to investigate any sources of contamination and to improve water quality at local bathing waters. Following a reduction in water quality at Bridlington South in 2018, the Environment Agency have carried out a number of water quality investigations in the Gypsey Race, Bridlington Harbour and Bridlington Bay to try and identify sources of the bacteria which may be impacting on water quality at the beach. This included work in 2020 when the EA and East Riding of Yorkshire Council provided support to a Yorkshire Water funded project to develop a water quality prediction model for both Bridlington South and Scarborough South. The project was carried out by the Centre for Research into Environment and Health (CREH) and included a period of intensive bacteria monitoring carried out over the summer at the Bridlington South compliance point and the installation of a number of environmental monitors and collection of a large amount of environmental data. More recently, as previous work had been inconclusive, the EA have undertaken an intensive monitoring project to try to better understand what is driving the water quality issues at Bridlington South. The investigation over the summer of 2023 included 6 days of intensive water quality monitoring at the South Bay compliance point, in Bridlington Harbour and also at the Bridlington North compliance point. A number of samples of sand from the beach and sediment from the harbour were also taken. All the samples are being analysed by the EA National Laboratory Service, using Microbial Source Tracking (MST) techniques to help us better understand the main sources of contamination at the beach. These techniques help to identify and differentiate whether the bacteria in the water is coming from sewage, agricultural sources, dogs and or birds.
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Bathing water quality may sometimes be affected by storm, emergency and surface water outfalls. Storm overflows may operate during and following periods of heavy rainfall when the sewer system can become overwhelmed by the amount of surface water entering it. The overflows prevent sewage from backing up pipes and flooding properties. As part of a major investment in their infrastructure at Bridlington, Yorkshire Water designed a new scheme to reduce the amount of storm effluent being discharged into the bathing water and the North Sea. The work was completed in December 2014 and included the installation of a new long-sea outfall in the South Bay which intercepts storm effluents that had previously discharged into the Gypsey Race. There is a further emergency overflow which discharges through a short sea outfall into the bathing water. There are two further storm overflows in the North Bay. When these outfalls are operating they discharge diluted and screened effluent into the North Sea. While the operation of these outfalls can still result in a decline in the bathing water quality, the impacts are likely to be much less compared to previous years. 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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Since 1998, the Environment Agency have worked closely with Yorkshire Water to identify and deliver significant investment in the sewerage infrastructure around Bridlington.
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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 1% of visits, with 24% of visits noting the presence of seaweed (macroalgae). Environment Agency research suggests the bathing water is not subject to an excess 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. The 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, tide 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 18 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 Bridlington South Beach
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2024-09-30
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2024-05-01
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A step change improvement in water quality was identified in 2014, at Bridlington South Beach, due to improvements made to water company assets. Any monitoring samples collected prior to this date have not been used in the classification of the bathing water quality.
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Streams are typically affected by sewage or surface water runoff from urban areas and agricultural land. The Gypsey Race drains into Bridlington Harbour which is situated between Bridlington North and Bridlington South beaches. Following heavy rain the Gypsey Race may have reduced water quality.
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Bridlington Sewage Treatment Works was built in 2000 to ensure all effluents are treated and disinfected to protect the bathing water quality. The treated effluent is discharged into the sea in Bridlington South Bay via a long sea outfall which allows better dilution of pollutants in the water and reduces the impact of treated effluent 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 Bridlington South Beach 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 26% of visits. Tarry residue was not assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable, but was observed as being present on 61% of visits.
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The Gypsey Race catchment is largely agricultural. The Environment Agency works with farmers to promote best practice and reduce potential sources of contamination to ensure pollution entering watercourses is minimised.
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There is a treated trade discharge that enters the sea via a near-shore outfall pipe, located approximately 2.5 kilometres to the north of the bathing area at Bridlington South Beach. Significant improvements have been made to the treatment process in recent years, and the discharge is not thought to affect the designated bathing areas within the bay. The Environment Agency continue to monitor effluent quality along with surface water quality in the catchment.
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The Yorkshire Bathing Water Partnership is working together to ensure Yorkshire's bathing beaches meet or go beyond the requirements of the revised Bathing Water Directive in 2015. The Partnership comprises the Environment Agency, East Riding of Yorkshire Council, North Yorkshire Council and Yorkshire Water. A tactical group comprising officers from all organisations meets on a regular basis to discuss issues, actions and potential resolutions at all our coastal bathing waters.
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The Gypsey Race, a chalk stream which is predominantly groundwater fed has a hydrological catchment area of 26.6 square kilometres which is mostly agricultural land dominated by arable farming. As it enters Bridlington it passes through a large recreational area on the outskirts prior to passing through a residential then commercial area before draining into Bridlington Harbour. The harbour is known to have connectivity with Bridlington North bathing water, and there may be indirect connectivity with Bridlington South bathing water under certain conditions.
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Bridlington South Beach
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Bridlington South Beach
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Sampling point at Bridlington South Beach
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517948
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54.077228774938455
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-0.198758284289504
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466087
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Sampling point at Bridlington South Beach
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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 08100:1
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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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