2024 Bathing Water Profile for St Leonards
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St. Leonards is a resort beach within the district of Hastings in East Sussex. The beach is predominantly shingle, with shallow sand flats exposed at low water. There is a rocky ledge in the east of the bathing water, which is exposed at low water. Above the beach is the urban backdrop of St. Leonards.
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Hastings
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East Sussex
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There are no storm overflows in the immediate vicinity of the bathing water. However, a drop in water quality in the past could be explained by a defect storm overflow, which discharges into a surface outfall 1 km west of the bathing water. Coombs water pumping station discharges storm water from the catchment of Hastings into the sea via an outfall pipe 800 metres east of the bathing water sampling point. This outfall also drains a surface water system with the associated risk of diffuse urban pollution.
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During 1998, improvements were made to dual manhole systems and storm overflows in the Hastings and St. Leonards catchment to lessen storm discharges of sewage to the surface water system. A drop in water quality occurred in 2000 and 2001 following periods of wet weather. Southern Water Services reported a defect in a storm overflow on Seaside Road, which discharges via a surface water outfall to the west of the bathing water. The defect was repaired subsequently. Under the programme of works for Southern Water (from 2020 to 2022) investigations within the catchment were carried out. This will help to identify where bathing water improvements may be needed in the future.
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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 13% of visits. This bathing water does not have a history of large amounts of seaweed.
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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 assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable, but was observed as being present on 6% of visits. Microscopic algae (phytoplankton) increase in number at certain times of the year. This process is known as a phytoplankton bloom. Blooms of phytoplankton can result in the water appearing discoloured or a foam forming on the water. 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, wind 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 17 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 St Leonards
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2024-09-30
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2024-05-01
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Due to the large rural and urban catchment of Combe Haven river and Hollington Stream, St. Leonards bathing water is under the influence of many local private and Southern Water Services inputs, which enter the sea through the river outfall west of the bathing water. This makes the bathing water vulnerable to pollution. Agricultural runoff from large farmland areas in the catchment can be a source of contamination particularly during and after periods of heavy rainfall.
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Bexhill and Hastings sewage treatment works at Galley Hill was upgraded to further treatment in 2003. It discharges through the twin long sea outfalls at Bulverhythe and Combe Haven, which are situated 3.5 kilometres (km) offshore to the west 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. At St Leonards 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 2% of visits, with 41% of visits noting the presence of litter. Tarry residue was not noted at this site.
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The natural drainage (hydrological) catchment surrounding the bathing water is approximately 5400 hectares. The catchment stretches north as far as the town of Battle. The upper catchment is mainly agricultural with wooded downlands, some villages and a network of streams. The main river is Combe Haven. To the east, the catchment reaches into the outskirts of Hastings. Hollington Stream runs through the urban areas of Hollington and St. Leonards, before joining Combe Haven. The river drains into the sea via an outfall pipe west of the bathing water.
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St Leonards
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St Leonards
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Sampling point at St Leonards
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579700
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50.84990177939676
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0.551467017008555
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108700
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Sampling point at St Leonards
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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 14150:1
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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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