2023 Bathing Water Profile for Scarborough North Bay
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Scarborough North Beach is a large resort beach situated on the Yorkshire coast. It is 900 metres in length with a gentle slope. At low tide rocky outcrops become exposed and the water's edge can be some distance away. Behind the beach there is a promenade and a small number of tourist establishments and the town of Scarborough.
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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 advise on compliance with regulations and good practice as appropriate. Over the summers of 2019 and 2020 continuous water monitors (sondes) were placed in Scalby Beck in response to concerns of issues with water quality. The evidence gathered from this monitoring has led to a number of recommendations for further investigations.
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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 are a number of storm emergency and surface water outfalls that may have an affect on bathing water compliance. Three outfalls discharge directly to sea; one discharge is in close proximity to the bathing water, whilst the other two discharges are located approximately 1.5 kilometres to the north. There are also a number of storm overflows that discharge into Scalby Beck. When these outfalls are operating, they discharge diluted and screened effluent into the North Sea and may result in reduced bathing water quality. Investigations show that the treated effluent and storm effluents from Scarborough Sewage Treatment Works are not having an affect on bathing water compliance. Moreover, Yorkshire Water has designed a new scheme to improve treated and storm effluents which was completed in April 2014. This will help to ensure bathing water quality remains at a high standard. 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. 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 Scarborough North 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 assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable for 3% of visits, with 72% 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 (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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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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2023 Bathing Water Profile for Scarborough North Bay
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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 watercourses further up the catchment. After heavy rainfall the flood gate separating Scalby Beck and the River Derwent opens releasing flood water into Scalby Beck and eventually into the North Sea 300 metres north of the bathing beach. This may sometimes result in reduced water quality.
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Scarborough Sewage Treatment Works was built in 2000 to ensure all effluents are treated and disinfected to protect the bathing water quality. The outfall pipe has been relocated to one kilometre offshore which helps to reduce the impact of the effluent on bathing water quality at the beach. This long sea outfall is 1.5 kilometres to the north of the bathing water. With the aim to achieve Excellent classification under the revised Bathing Water Directive, the works has received significant investment to improve the infrastructure, which was completed in April 2014. The investment will improve the quality of the treated effluent and reduce the amount of storm effluent being discharged into the sea.
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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 Scarborough North Bay for the four year (2019-2022) 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 2% of visits. Tarry residue was not noted at this site.
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The River Derwent catchment is largely agricultural with significant areas of land used for arable farming and forestry. Part of the Environment Agency's 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. During and after periods of heavy rainfall, runoff from livestock farms will be greatly increased. The quality of the bathing water may be adversely affected as a result of such events.
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An area of 60 square kilometres (known as the hydrological catchment) drains into the bathing water. This comprises two surface water catchments. Peasholm Beck a partly culverted stream runs through the northern half of Scarborough town and drains into Peasholm Lake. The overflow from the lake discharges into Scarborough North Bay through a storm overflow close to the bathing water. The bathing water is also affected by Scalby Beck which drains into the North Sea to the north of the bathing water. Scalby Beck passes through a partly rural and partly urban catchment. At the top of Scalby Beck is a flood gate which separates the watercourse from the River Derwent. During normal weather the flood gate is closed. However, during or after heavy rainfall, this flood gate opens releasing flood water from the River Derwent into Scalby Beck. .
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Scarborough North Bay
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Scarborough North Bay
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Sampling point at Scarborough North Bay
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503769
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54.29337296091158
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-0.407209250068013
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489807
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Sampling point at Scarborough North Bay
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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 07300:1
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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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