2024 Bathing Water Profile for Gorleston Beach
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Gorleston-on-Sea is a resort town that became popular in Edwardian times. It has a long sandy beach backed by a promenade, gardens and the town.
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Great Yarmouth
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Norfolk
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There are numerous storm and emergency outfalls that discharge to the River Yare. Prior to the 2007 improvements, which included significant additional storage, these outfalls may have occasionally affected bathing water quality. 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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Anglian Water have worked with the Environment Agency over a long period to help make improvements to their sewerage infrastructure in and around Gorleston. This has contributed towards improvements in bathing water quality. The Great Yarmouth sewerage improvement scheme began August 1996, and further improvements were undertaken in 2007.
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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 42% of visits. This bathing water does not have a history of large amounts of seaweed (macro algae). However groynes and rocks, platforms or other fixed objects may develop a covering of seaweed which can be slippery.
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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 (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. 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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2024 Bathing Water Profile for Gorleston Beach
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2024-09-30
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2024-05-01
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There are no local streams or rivers that impact directly on bathing water quality at Gorleston, but it is possible that the River Yare may affect bathing water quality on rare occasions. Improvements to discharges into the River Yare help towards protecting bathing water quality at this beach.
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Sewage arising from the town is pumped to Caister Sewage Treatment Works before being pumped to the North Sea through a long sea outfall. This outfall does not affect bathing water compliance at this 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 Gorleston Beach for the four year (2020-2023) assessment period where data is available, sewage debris was not noted at this site. Litter was assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable for 3% of visits, with 88% of visits noting the presence of litter. Tarry residue was not noted at this site.
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Gorleston is within the Yare Catchment Sensitive Farming area. This is a partnership between Natural England and the Environment Agency. Its aim is to work with farmers to enhance farming practices and reduce run off from farmlands.
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The beach is less than 1km from the River Yare, which has a large mainly rural catchment. The river has a limited impact on bathing water quality due to the nature of the tidal currents. There are no rivers or other freshwater inputs direct to the beach. The town lies behind the beach.
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Gorleston Beach
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Gorleston Beach
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Sampling point at Gorleston Beach
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653096
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52.569817190589475
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1.73349731928401
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303434
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Sampling point at Gorleston Beach
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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 10650:1
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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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