2024 Bathing Water Profile for Filey
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Filey Beach is an extensive sandy resort beach on the north Yorkshire coast. The designated bathing water area is 850 metres 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 the town of Filey and to the north lies the rocky peninsula of Filey Brigg.
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Scarborough District
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North Yorkshire
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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.
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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 effluent into the bathing water near Church Ravine Beck . When this overflow operates it will discharge diluted and screened effluent into the North Sea and may result in reduced bathing water quality. With the partnership aim to achieve Excellent classification under the revised Bathing Water Directive, Yorkshire Water has carried out investment at Filey sewer system to increase storm storage. The investment will reduce the amount of storm effluent being discharged into the sea. This will lead to better bathing water quality at Filey beach. 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 in Filey.
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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 27% 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. The Bathing Water Partnership has carried out misconnection surveys in key areas of Filey town and has identified a number of properties that have misconnection issues. Work is ongoing with homeowners to rectify these issues.
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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
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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, 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 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 11 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 Filey
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2024-09-30
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2024-05-01
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Martins Ravine Beck discharges to the bathing water area via a short sea outfall south of the bathing water monitoring point and may contain run-off from urban and agricultural land upstream. Horn Dale Beck discharges directly onto the beach just below Filey Sailing Club, whilst Church Ravine Beck which is part culverted, discharges into the North Sea via a short sea outfall north of the bathing water monitoring point. During and following heavy rainfall, the surface water is diverted away from the outfall by a large flap valve in the sea wall and discharges directly onto the beach. This may sometimes result in reduced bathing water quality .
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Filey Sewage Treatment Works was built in 2000 and treated and disinfected effluent is now discharged down a long sea outfall at the end of Filey Brigg. Further improvements at the works were completed in Spring 2014.
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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 Filey 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 15% of visits. Tarry residue was not noted at this site.
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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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An area of 4.6 square kilometres (known as the hydrological catchment) drains into the bathing water. There are three small streams within the Filey beach surface water catchment; Horn Dale Beck and Church Ravine Beck to the north and Martins Ravine Beck to the south. Parts of these streams are in culverts which means that the water is taken underground in pipes. The town of Filey and surrounding arable farmland make up the majority of the catchment and following periods of rainfall this means that surface water run-off can quickly enter the streams leading down to the bathing water.
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Filey
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Filey
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Sampling point at Filey
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512003
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54.20824693207295
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-0.284226049497505
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480524
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Sampling point at Filey
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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 07600:1
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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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