2019 Bathing Water Profile for Ryde
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Ryde Beach is a long, straight sandy resort to the north of Ryde Town Centre on the northeast coast of the Isle of Wight. To the east of the long pier and marina the sandy beach extends far out at low tide. The Town esplanade with its swimming pool and canoe lake allows easy access. The Monktonmead Brook, crossing the beach to the west of the designated sampling point, is often contaminated with bacterial pollution.
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Isle of Wight
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Isle of Wight
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Historic data show reduced water quality at Ryde associated with rainfall. High levels of contamination were occasionally found soon after high tide. In the late 1990s the Environment Agency successfully prosecuted after farm slurry polluted the upper reaches of the catchment. This affected the entire length of the Monktonmead Brook. During the 2009 Bathing Water season, and previously, the Environment Agency has undertaken catchment and tidal surveys. Most work has focused on the Monktonmead Brook. At high water the stream discharges directly into the sea and at low water it discharges across the extensive sands. The stream flows through a culvert in its lower reaches. It receives several storm overflow inputs in the urban area. The results from surveys often show elevated levels of bacteria in the urban area of the catchment. Bathing water surveys show that after high tide water flushing from the outfall can affect bathing water quality.
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There are a number of storm overflows in the urban catchment and one to the west of the end of Ryde Pier. The Appley Park storm overflow, that operates frequently, is 2.7km offshore. The Springvale storm overflow east of the beach is designed to operate only once in five years. These outfalls can discharge when heavy rainfall overwhelms the sewerage system but they are designed to ensure that bathing water compliance is not affected.
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Numerous Combined Storm Overflows in the Ryde catchment were improved under Asset Management Plans 2 & 3 (1995 to 2005). Flows from Ryde long sea outfall were diverted to Sandown sewage treatment works prior to the 2001 bathing season. Southern Water carried out an investigation of the performance and impact of their storm overflows between 2005 and 2007. All storm overflows met operational requirements.
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A Local Authority sewer was repaired and re-routed in May 1999 and a follow-up tracer survey by the Environment Agency confirmed that the work was effective in stopping the leak to the Monktonmead Brook. A misconnection from the Waterside Pool Pumping Station to the Monktonmead was diverted to foul sewerage prior to the 2001 bathing season.
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For the four year (2015-2018) assessment period where data is available, seaweed (macroalgae) was not assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable, but was observed as being present on 75% 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 (2015-2018) 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 1% 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. Short term pollution is caused when heavy rainfall or high tides wash faecal material into the sea from livestock, sewage and urban drainage via rivers and streams. At this site the risk of encountering reduced water quality increases after rainfall and typically returns to normal after 1-3 days. The Environment Agency makes daily pollution risk forecasts based on rainfall and tidal patterns and will issue a pollution risk warning if high tides or heavy rainfall occurs to enable bathers to avoid periods of increased risk. The Environment Agency works to reduce the sources of this pollution through pollution prevention measures, work with agriculture and water companies. 8 warnings advising against swimming due to an increase risk of short term pollution were issued in 2018 for Ryde bathing water. These warnings were issued because of the effects of heavy rain on the water quality.
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2019 Bathing Water Profile for Ryde
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2019-09-30
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2019-05-01
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A small stream, the Monktonmead Brook, has contributed to failures. A number of Combined Storm Overflows can discharge into this small stream and it is also subject to diffuse agricultural inputs in the upper catchment and urban runoff in the lower catchment.
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Peel Common sewage treatment works long sea outfall is nearly 5.5km away towards Lee-on-Solent and the Budds Farm long sea outfall is over 6km away towards the east. These outfalls are designed to protect bathing water compliance.
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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 Ryde for the four year (2015-2018) assessment period where data is available, sewage debris was not assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable, but was observed as being present on 4% of visits. Litter was not assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable, but was observed as being present on 56% of visits. Tarry residue was not noted at this site.
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The natural drainage (hydrological) catchment of about 1100 hectares goes through agriculture land in the upper area and through an urban area in the lower section near the bathing water.
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Ryde
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Ryde
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Sampling point at Ryde
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460100
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50.73080613175428
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-1.149793713177086
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92700
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Sampling point at Ryde
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p152 dT23 h59 m59 s
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2019 05 01 t00:00:00
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2019-05-01T00:00:00
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2019 09 30 t23:59:59
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2019-09-30T23:59:59
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2019 17900:1
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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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