2019 Bathing Water Profile for Swanpool
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Swanpool is on the south coast of Cornwall. It is a pebble and sandy beach resort, approximately 140 metres wide, backed by the Swanpool Nature Reserve.
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Cornwall
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Cornwall
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There is an emergency/storm overflow from the Queen Mary Gardens pumping station that discharges to the sea approximately 420m east of the bathing water. The operation of the overflow can lead to a temporary drop in the bathing water quality, although such events appear to be rare. This bathing water is included in the Surfers Against Sewage “Safer Seas Service”. This service can alert you to Combined Storm Sewer Overflow discharges via a phone App and in addition, it includes the Environment Agency Pollution Risk Forecast warnings where they are available. Further details of the service can be found at - http://www.sas.org.uk/safer-seas-service/
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The sewage treatment scheme for Falmouth was partially completed by South West Water in 1998. The scheme included the replacement of the untreated sewage discharges at Middle Point and Pennance Point with a 690m long outfall off Black Rock in Carrick Roads. Screened effluent was discharged through this outfall on the ebb tide only, using a storm sewage tunnel for tidal storage. The final scheme for Falmouth, which provides secondary treatment, sand filtration and ultraviolet (UV) disinfection for sewage from Falmouth and Flushing, was completed in 2000. The scheme also included the removal of the Severn Stars combined sewer overflow (CSO) at Flushing, and improvements to the CSOs at Mylor Bridge, and Market Street and Bake House Yard in the Penryn River in 2001. Further upper the catchment, improvements were made in 2002 to the continuous discharges at Ladock, Mylor, St Mawes and 13 CSOs in Truro. A further three CSOs in Truro were improved in 2003, together with CSOs at Malpas, Ladock and Truro STWs, and the pumping station at Devoran. Storm overflow event duration monitoring (EDM) was installed at Queen Mary Gardens, Swanvale, and Swanpool pumping stations by December 2011, and at Trescobeas Road CSO by April 2016.
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The urban area of Swanpool immediately behind the beach is served by a combined (surface and sewer) system. The Environment Agency have regularly inspected and sampled surface water outfalls.
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For the four year (2015-2018) assessment period where data is available, seaweed (macroalgae) was assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable for 9% of visits, with 87% of visits noting the presence of seaweed (macroalgae). The bathing water can become covered with large amounts of seaweed, depending on tides and the weather. This bathing water does not have a history of large amounts of seaweed, but that it can be noticeable from time to time.
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Wrongly connected domestic waste water pipes can also affect the bathing water quality. 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 noted at this site. Phytoplankton (microscopic algae) naturally increase in number at certain times of the year. This process is known as a phytoplankton bloom. This bathing water does not have a history of phytoplankton blooms. 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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2019 Bathing Water Profile for Swanpool
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2019-09-30
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2019-05-01
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Streams and rivers are typically affected by human sewage, animal slurry and runoff from roads. The Swanpool Stream flows onto this beach. The Environment Agency have monitored the stream between 1992 and 2008, and found that water quality is temporarily worse during and after heavy rainfall.
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The outfall from Falmouth STW discharges to the Carrick Roads 3.3km east of the bathing water. This discharge is disinfected and designed to protect 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 Swanpool for the four year (2015-2018) 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 55% of visits. Tarry residue was not noted at this site.
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The Environment Agency have worked with businesses on the small industrial estate at Swanpool to ensure there is no effect on the bathing water quality from this site.
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The catchment surrounding Swanpool is approximately 340 hectares. The Swanpool Stream (also known as Bickland Water) is a small stream approximately 3.2 kilometres (km) long which collects runoff from the Swanvale urban catchment. The stream feeds the Swan Pool, which is a 500m wide lagoon behind the beach designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The pool is cut off from the sea by a shingle bar forming a large freshwater lake, but is still connected to the sea via a tidal underground channel. This maintains brackish water conditions in the pool. The upper catchment is fairly flat around Higher Kergilliack and gently slopes down to Swanpool. Land use is mostly urban.
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Swanpool
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Swanpool
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Sampling point at Swanpool
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180320
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50.140617662512916
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-5.075826818894453
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31260
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Sampling point at Swanpool
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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 28700:1
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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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