2023 Bathing Water Profile for Scarborough South Bay
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Scarborough South Beach is a popular resort beach situated on the Yorkshire coast. It is 0.5 kilometres 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. To the north of the bathing water is Scarborough harbour. The beach is backed by a promenade with a large number of tourist establishments, including restaurants, amusements and shops behind this at the top of a steep cliff is the rest of 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. During 2015/16 intensive investigations and pollution prevention inspections were carried out by the Environment Agency and partners of the Yorkshire Bathing Water Partnership around south bay in order to better understand and minimise background levels of pollution. During 2020 Yorkshire Water funded a project looking to develop a water quality prediction model for both Scarborough South and Bridlington South. Over the summer of 2020, 60 days of intensive bacteria monitoring was carried out at the Scarborough South compliance point. In conjunction with this detailed meteorological data and Yorkshire Water asset operational information was also collected and the EA provided both water quality information via a Sonde (continuous water quality monitor) placed in Scalby Beck and water quantity information in the form of detailed hydrological (river flow and levels and rainfall) for the Scalby Beck catchment.
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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. One storm overflow outfall is located at the southern end of the bathing water and there are a number of other outfalls located to the north of the bathing water. When these outfalls are operating they discharge diluted and screened effluent onto the beach and into the North Sea and may result in reduced bathing water quality. Yorkshire Water has designed a new scheme to improve treated and storm effluents which was completed in April 2014. 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. 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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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 41% 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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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 South Bay
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2023-09-30
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2023-05-01
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A step change improvement in water quality was been identified from 31/03/2014 as a result of improvements made to Yorkshire Waters assets. Any monitoring data that was collected prior to this date will not be used in the bathing water classification.
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Streams are typically affected by sewage or surface water runoff from urban areas and livestock farming. Scalby Beck enters the North Sea to the North of Scarborough. Following heavy rain it may sometimes have 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 Scarborough. This long sea outfall is located 3.5 kilometres north of the bathing water. With the aim to achieve Excellent classification under the revised Bathing Water Directive, the works received significant investment to improve the infrastructure, and this 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 South 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 Scalby Beck catchment to the north of Scarborough is largely agricultural. 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 pollution entering watercourses is minimised.
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There is a discharge from one food production plant that may impact on bathing water quality. The treated effluent enters the sea through an off-shore outfall pipe located three kilometres to the south of Scarborough South Bay. To protect bathing water quality at Scarborough, the Environment Agency are working with both the Company running the plant and Yorkshire Water to ensure that the effluent is adequately treated before it is released to the sea.
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The catchment draining onto the bathing water is approximately 3.5 square kilometres in area. This is mostly urban in nature and includes a portion of the town of Scarborough, the promenade and road and the busy working harbour just to the north of the beach. The bathing water itself is bordered by a number of tourist facilities including amusements, shops and food outlets.
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Scarborough South Bay
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Scarborough South Bay
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Sampling point at Scarborough South Bay
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504577
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54.28204183674201
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-0.395234352981026
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488564
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Sampling point at Scarborough South 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 07400:1
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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 water quality improvements at bathing waters that are at risk of failing higher standards. It is natural for water to run off the land into 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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