2024 Bathing Water Profile for Wharfe at Wilderness Carpark
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The bathing water site, known as the Wharfe at Wilderness Carpark is located on the River Wharfe either side of Wetherby Bridge to the eastern end of the town of Wetherby in West Yorskhire. The site can be accessed from the Wilderness Carpark and stretches from below the weir to the Bandstand and picnic area just to the west of the car park.
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Leeds District
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West 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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Bathing water quality may sometimes be affected by storm, emergency and surface water outfalls. Storm overflows may operate during and following periods of heavy rainfall when the sewer system becomes overwhelmed by the amount of surface water entering. The overflows prevent sewage from backing up pipes and flooding properties. There are 2 storm overflows in the vicinity of the bathing water. Wetherby High Street CSO discharges just to the east of Wetherby Bridge and a further CSO, Scott Lane CSO is situated above the weir on the northern bank of the river.
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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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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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2024 Bathing Water Profile for Wharfe at Wilderness Carpark
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2024-09-30
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2024-05-01
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There are no discharges of treated sewage effluent in the area of the bathing water. Wetherby Sewage Treatment works discharges into the River Wharfe downstream of the bathing water.
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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.
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The River Wharfe above Wetherby is part of the wider Middle Wharfe and Washburn catchment which covers the area from Appletreewick down to Collingham including Bolton Abbey and the market towns of Ilkley and Otley. There are a number of reservoirs in this catchment including Thruscross, Fewston and Swinsty in the Washburn Valley. Most of the moors and fells in the Middle Wharfe are designated SACs and SPAs. Ilkley Moor in the Washburn is also a SAC/SPA.
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Wharfe at Wilderness Carpark
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Wharfe at Wilderness Carpark
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Sampling point at Wharfe at Wilderness Carpark
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440455
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53.92655
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-1.38542
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447997
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Sampling point at Wharfe at Wilderness Carpark
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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 08904:1
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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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