2024 Bathing Water Profile for Deal Castle
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Once one of the busiest ports in England, Deal is now a small resort on the Kent coast about 14 km north east from Dover. There is a long pier, seafront promenade and a pebble beach with small fishing boats pulled up on the shingle. Along the seafront there are a range of facilities.
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Dover
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Kent
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There is one storm overflow called Deal pumping station approximately 1.8 km north of the bathing water, and also storm overflows in the River Stour estuary, that can occur when heavy rainfall overwhelms the sewerage system. These outfalls are designed not to affect bathing water compliance. This bathing water could also be affected by discharges from two surface water outlets to the south of the bathing water.
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Local storm overflows were improved and sewage flows transferred to the new Weatherlees sewage treatment works prior to the 1995 bathing season. As part of Southern Water’s Bathing Water Enhancement Programme (from 2016 to 2019), Southern Water have worked with partners and delivered solutions to improve bathing water quality.
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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 45% of visits.
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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 12% of visits. Phytoplankton (microscopic algae) 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 Deal Castle
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2024-09-30
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2024-05-01
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Water from the Stour estuary circulates in Pegwell Bay and can reach the beach. Within the Stour's catchment there are inputs from storm overflows that can occur when heavy rainfall overwhelms the sewerage system. These outfalls are designed not to affect bathing water compliance. In response to heavy rainfall, runoff from agricultural land could also affect the water quality in the Stour estuary.
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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 Deal Castle 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 64% of visits. Tarry residue was not noted at this site.
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There are no natural surface water courses that flow to the coast in the local area, though the Stour catchment of about 823 square kilometres drains into Pegwell bay about 10 km to the north. The Stour catchment includes Ashford, Canterbury, Sandwich and much of Deal.
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Deal Castle
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Deal Castle
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Sampling point at Deal Castle
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637837
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51.22486304198136
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1.404925707974265
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152805
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Sampling point at Deal Castle
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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 13100:1
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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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