2024 Bathing Water Profile for Sandsend
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Sandsend Beach is a rural beach situated on the north 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 food outlets on the seafront.
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Scarborough District
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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. Past work in the catchment has shown that agriculture can have an impact on the water quality of both Sandsend and East Row Becks particularly after wet weather.
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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.
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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.
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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 54% 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. Previous investigations in the village identified a number of misconnections which have been addressed.
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For the four year (2020-2023) assessment period where data is available, phytoplankton (microscopic algae) was not assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable, but was observed as being present on 1% of visits. 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 2023 15 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 Sandsend
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2024-09-30
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2024-05-01
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There are 2 streams that outfall onto Sandsend bathing water - East Row Beck and Sandsend beck which are 100m and 400m respectively to the north of the compliance monitoring point. Land use in the catchment is predominantly agricultural with a number of livestock farms and as a result of the steep topography of the catchment any heavy or prolonged rainfall will quickly result in run-off from this land entering the streams and potentially resulting in reduced water quality in both these and the bathing water.
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In 2000 sewage effluent from Sandsend village was transferred to the Whitby Sewage Treatment Works to be treated and disinfected and the treated effluent is discharged through the Whitby long sea outfall. Sewage from the villages within the rest of the Sandsend catchment are treated at several small Yorkshire Water Sewage treatment works which discharge into the watercourses that run down to Sandsend beach.
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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 (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 13% of visits. Tarry residue was not noted at this site.
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The Environment Agency has worked with farmers in the Sandsend catchment over a number of years 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 in the streams and at the bathing water.
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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 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.
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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 and East Row Beck both are to the north of the compliance monitoring point with East Row Beck being the closest. 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.
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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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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 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'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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