2023 Bathing Water Profile for Sandsend
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Sandsend Beach is a rural beach situated on the Yorkshire coast. It is approximately 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. The beach is backed by concrete defences and there are residential properties and a limited number of tourist establishments on the seafront.
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Scarborough
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North Yorkshire
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The Environment Agency regularly carry out investigations to identify sources of pollution in the catchment. The Environment Agency do this by monitoring the quality of streams and visiting sites where the Environment Agency give advice on compliance with regulations and good practice as appropriate.
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The quality of the bathing water may sometimes be affected by storm, emergency and surface water outfalls. Storm overflows may operate during and after heavy rainfall. This is 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 is one storm overflow that discharges through a long sea outfall to the north of the bathing area. It is designed to discharge diluted and screened effluent during or after heavy rainfall. The operation of this outfall can result in a decline in the bathing water quality. Yorkshire Water is one of the organisations involved in the Yorkshire Bathing Water Partnership. The 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 Environment Agency, Scarborough Borough Council, East Riding of Yorkshire Council, North Yorkshire County Council and other interested parties are also involved in the partnership.
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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 Sandsend beach. This has resulted in major improvements in its quality.
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For the four year (2019-2022) assessment period where data is available, seaweed (macroalgae) was not assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable, but was observed as being present on 55% of visits. 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 (2019-2022) 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, wind, sunlight 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 2022 13 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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2023 Bathing Water Profile for Sandsend
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2023-09-30
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2023-05-01
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Streams are typically affected by waste entering the watercourse from further up the catchment. The topography of the catchment means that during rainfall events, water quickly runs from the land into the streams. Due to the land use in the catchment the surface water run-off may contain agricultural pollutants which may sometimes result in reduced water quality in the streams and at the bathing water.
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There are several small Yorkshire Water Sewage treatment works within the Sandsend Catchment which discharge into the watercourses that run down to Sandsend beach. In 2000 sewage effluent from Sandsend village was transferred to the Whitby Sewage Treatment Works to be treated and disinfected. The treated effluent is then discharged through the Whitby long sea outfall. This has helped to protect the 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 Sandsend for the four year (2019-2022) assessment period where data is available, sewage debris was not noted at this site. Litter was not noted at this site. Tarry residue was not noted at this site.
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Part of the Environment Agency role is to work with farmers to reduce the effects of farming on water quality. The Environment Agency provide advice to farmers on how to comply with regulations and good practice on farms to ensure that minimal levels of pollution enter watercourses. There are a number of livestock farms within the catchment. During and after periods of heavy rainfall, runoff from these areas will be greatly increased. The quality of the bathing water may be adversely affected as a result of such events. The Environment Agency has been working with farmers in the catchment to provide advice and small scale grants for materials, such as fencing and trackways to help to reduce the impact of their activities on water quality.
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There are several private sewage treatment works in the upper reaches of the catchment and the Environment Agency monitors the performance of these and works with the owners to ensure that they are appropriately maintained and do not have adverse impacts on water quality.
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An area of 35 square kilometres (known as the hydrological catchment) drains into the bathing water. The two main streams within the catchment are Sandsend Beck to the north and East Row Beck to the south. Land use within the catchment is made up of a mixture of livestock and arable farming, managed grassland and woodland. Towards the lower end of the catchment the streams run through steep wooded valleys. The hilly nature of the catchment means that during heavy rainfall, water can quickly run off the land and enter the streams which flow onto the beach very quickly.
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Sandsend
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Sandsend
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Sampling point at Sandsend
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486400
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54.50138423331686
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-0.66735831817604
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512600
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Sampling point at Sandsend
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p152 dT23 h59 m59 s
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2023 05 01 t00:00:00
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2023-05-01T00:00:00
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2023 09 30 t23:59:59
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2023-09-30T23:59:59
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2023 07000:1
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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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