2024 Bathing Water Profile for Shoreham Beach
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Shoreham (or Shoreham-by-Sea) is a small seaside town and port in West Sussex, England. Shoreham Beach is a shingle spit deposited over time by longshore drift. This blocks the southerly flow of the River Adur which turns east at this point and eventually meets the sea further along the coast. The pebble beach is predominantly groyned, gently sloping and offers a wide area for bathing with some sand exposed at low water. The River Adur exits the harbour at the eastern end of the bathing water separated by a concrete breakwater.
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Adur District
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West Sussex
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The majority of sewers in England and Wales 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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Prior to 2002, treated sewage was discharged from Shoreham and Worthing Long Sea Outfalls (4.2 km and 5.2 km from the bathing water respectively). In 2002, Shoreham and East Worthing sewage works were upgraded and the effluent receives further treatment before being discharged through the long sea outfalls.
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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 65% 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 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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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 Shoreham Beach
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2024-09-30
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2024-05-01
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The River Adur exits the harbour at the eastern end of the bathing water separated by a concrete breakwater. The river could occasionally be a source of contamination to the bathing water at certain states of tide under wet weather conditions.
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There is a high standard of treatment at the two sewage treatment works that discharge 4.2 km and 5.2 km from the shore of this bathing water which is designed to protect bathing water quality.
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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 Shoreham 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 2% of visits, with 42% of visits noting the presence of litter. Tarry residue was not noted at this site.
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The bathing water is situated at a low lying peninsula of land at the west side of the entrance to Shoreham Harbour. The natural drainage (hydrological) catchment surrounding the bathing water is approximately 45,000 hectares. This includes the catchment of the River Adur which enters the sea at the eastern end of the bathing water. The local area behind the bathing water is urban but most of the wider surrounding area is predominantly rural (arable and managed grassland).
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Shoreham Beach
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Shoreham Beach
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Sampling point at Shoreham Beach
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521848
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50.82657968050896
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-0.271301418312344
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104429
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Sampling point at Shoreham 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 15200:1
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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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