2024 Bathing Water Profile for Ramsgate Western Undercliffe
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Ramsgate Western Undercliffe is a sandy beach between a number of groynes over about 300m. To the west of Ramsgate Harbour in Kent, the lower half of the beach is rocky and there is a sea water bathing pool at the west end of the beach.
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Thanet District
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Kent
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Ramsgate Western Undercliff bathing water could be affected by discharges from the Westcliff Pumping Station storm overflow at the south west corner of the harbour and there are also storm overflows in Pegwell Bay and the River Stour estuary. These storm overflows can discharge when heavy rainfall overwhelms the sewerage system. All these outfalls are designed not to affect bathing water compliance.
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Before the 1995 bathing season local storm overflows were improved and sewage flows from the short outfall were transferred to the new Weatherlees sewage treatment works. The effluent is treated to further standards prior to discharge to the estuary.
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A partnership group between the Environment Agency, Thanet District Council, Kent County Council and Southern Water has been formed. The aim of the partnership is to work together to better understand risks to bathing water quality and put measures in place to make improvements.
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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 91% 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 assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable for 1% of visits, with 10% of visits noting the presence of phytoplankton (microscopic algae). 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 Ramsgate Western Undercliffe
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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 Ramsgate Western Undercliffe 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 87% 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 from the local catchment of about 250 hectares, though the Stour catchment of about 823 square kilometres drains into Pegwell bay about 1 km to the west. The Stour catchment includes Ashford, Canterbury, Sandwich and much of Deal.
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Ramsgate Western Undercliffe
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Ramsgate Western Undercliffe
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Sampling point at Ramsgate Western Undercliffe
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637406
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51.32660421706023
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1.406272751424865
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164120
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Sampling point at Ramsgate Western Undercliffe
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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 12900:1
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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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