2024 Bathing Water Profile for Winchelsea
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Winchelsea is a remote beach on the western edge of Rye Bay in East Sussex. The beach is predominantly shingle, with shallow sand flats exposed at low water. The bathing water quality at this beach generally achieves high standards.
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Rother District
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East Sussex
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The Winchelsea area was included in investigations at the nearby Camber in 1999. The aim was to find out which improvements are required to achieve higher water quality standards. Occasional drops in water quality at Winchelsea beach turned out not to be related to those at Camber and were not investigated further. Depending on tide and prevailing winds, the water quality may be affected by discharges from the sea outfalls at Hastings. This explains occasional drops in water quality. Local discharges and surface water drainage are unlikely to affect bathing water quality, since they drain into the River Brede and enter the sea via the River Rother at Rye Harbour.
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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 44% of visits. The shore can become covered with seaweed, depending on tides and the weather. Groynes, rocks and other fixed objects may have 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 assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable, but was observed as being present on 10% 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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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 Winchelsea
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2024-09-30
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2024-05-01
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The river Rother drains into the sea approximately 5 kilometres to the east at Rye Harbour. This discharge includes the drainage from the large catchment of the rivers Rother and Brede. A training wall prevents the discharge to flow across the beach to the west.
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Winchelsea Beach sewage treatment works discharges into the river Brede and enter the sea via the River Rother at Rye Harbour.
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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 Winchelsea 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 72% of visits. Tarry residue was not noted at this site.
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Winchelsea Beach is a small village surrounded by marshland. Surface water from the marshland drains away through a network of ditches into the river Brede and eventually into the river Rother. The Brede also receives private sewage discharges and the discharge from Winchelsea Beach sewage treatment works. The surface water drainage catchment of the bathing water only includes the immediate surrounding of the beach and therefore is very small (4 hectares).
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Winchelsea
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Winchelsea
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Sampling point at Winchelsea
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591200
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50.906400668932136
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0.718147800278008
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115400
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Sampling point at Winchelsea
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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 14000:1
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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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