2024 Bathing Water Profile for Fraisthorpe
-
Fraisthorpe Beach is a rural sandy beach situated on the east Yorkshire coast to the south of the resort of Bridlington. It is one 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.
-
East Riding of Yorkshire
-
East Riding of Yorks
-
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. Environment Agency investigations indicate that the watercourses downstream of an industrial estate can be affected by polluting discharges from the industrial estate. At present, the Environment Agency are uncertain whether these pollutants impact on bathing water quality. However they will continue to investigate any issues and work to implement remedial actions with those responsible.
-
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. There are no storm overflows discharging directly into the bathing water but there are two storm overflows in the Fraisthorpe catchment. These are downstream of the industrial estate and discharge into Earls Dyke and Auburn beck respectively. There are also several storm overflows to the north in Bridlington South Bay. These include one emergency short sea outfall and a long-sea storm outfall that discharge into the North Sea. Yorkshire Water completed improvement schemes at Bridlington and Fraisthorpe to improve bathing water quality in 2014. When these overflows operate, they discharge diluted and screened effluent into the sea and the stream. 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 than previous years.
-
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 38% of visits. Environment Agency research suggests the bathing water is not subject to an excess of seaweed (macro algae).
-
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.
-
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. TheEnvironment 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.
-
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 cause a temporary reduction in water quality, we will issue a pollution risk warning on this website. Water quality will 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 8 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.
-
2024 Bathing Water Profile for Fraisthorpe
-
2024-09-30
-
2024-05-01
-
There are two streams in the catchment, Auburn Beck which drains across the bathing beach and Earl's Dyke which drains into the North Sea to the south of the bathing water. The streams contain surface water runoff from agricultural land, an industrial estate and also treated effluent from a small sewage works and may result in reduced water quality at the bathing water particularly following periods of heavy rain.
-
There are no outfalls discharging directly into the bathing water. However, treated effluents from Bridlington Sewage Treatment Works which discharges via a long sea outfall into Bridlington South Bay, may have an affect on bathing water compliance at Fraisthorpe Beach. The sewage treatment works was built in 2000 to ensure effluents are treated and disinfected to protect the bathing water quality.
-
Environment Agency samplers make observations of litter present on the beach at every visit, this includes assessments of sewage debris, litter and tar. At Fraisthorpe 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 5% of visits. Litter was assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable for 2% of visits, with 72% of visits noting the presence of litter. Tarry residue was not assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable, but was observed as being present on 41% of visits.
-
Environment Agency investigations indicate that the watercourses downstream of an industrial estate can be affected by polluting discharges from the industrial estate. At present, the Environment Agency are uncertain whether these pollutants impact on bathing water quality. However they will continue to investigate any issues and work to implement remedial actions with those responsible.
-
The Yorkshire Bathing Water Partnership is working together to ensure Yorkshire's bathing beaches meet or go beyond the requirements of the revised 2015 Bathing Water Directive. 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.
-
An area of 37 square kilometres (known as the hydrological catchment) drains into the bathing water. The bathing water shares its northern boundary with neighbouring Wilsthorpe Beach. The land in the catchment is predominantly flat and comprises mostly farmland. There are two streams in the catchment, Auburn Beck which drains across the bathing beach and Earl's Dyke which drains into the North Sea to the south of the bathing water. The streams contain surface water runoff from agricultural land, an industrial estate and also treated effluent from a small sewage works. In addition bathing water quality may be impacted by he issues affecting the adjacent bathing waters at Bridlington South and Wilsthorpe.
-
Fraisthorpe
-
Fraisthorpe
-
Sampling point at Fraisthorpe
-
517030
-
54.04856607390669
-
-0.214020385991274
-
462873
-
Sampling point at Fraisthorpe
-
-
-
p152 dT23 h59 m59 s
-
2024 05 01 t00:00:00
-
2024-05-01T00:00:00
-
-
2024 09 30 t23:59:59
-
2024-09-30T23:59:59
-
-
-
2024 08300:1
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Discharges from sewage treatment works have improved substantially in England since the 1980s.
-
