2024 Bathing Water Profile for Daymer Bay
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Daymer Bay is at the mouth of the River Camel opposite the town of Padstow on the north coast of Cornwall. This is a sandy beach resort, approximately 2.4 kilometres wide, backed by dunes. There is a stream which flows across the southern end of the beach and rock pools are exposed at low tide.
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Cornwall
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Cornwall
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The Environment Agency have carried out extensive additional catchment monitoring in the Camel estuary and its tributaries alongside routine bathing water monitoring. The Environment Agency have used a DNA tracing technique to help us identify whether sources of faecal pollution are animal or human with surveys carried out in wet and dry weather conditions. The Environment Agency have also walked up the catchment to identify potential sources of pollution in the Camel Estuary and the small stream from Trebetherick village. This included looking for evidence of misconnections, poorly maintained private sewerage systems, leaking sewers and unsuitable farming practices. Investigations have shown that Daymer Bay is generally very clean but can occasionally be affected by poorly maintained septic tank discharges in the catchment.
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The South West Water sewage treatment scheme known as the Trevone Scheme collects sewage from the various settlements around the Camel Estuary. It is split into two schemes centred on the Porthilly sewage treatment works (STW) (East Bank Scheme), and a works at Trecerus near Padstow (West Bank Scheme). Porthilly STW received ultraviolet (UV) disinfection in 1996 for sewage from Rock, Polzeath, and Tredrizzick, and improvements were made to the sewerage in Rock and Polzeath. Trecerus STW was completed for the 1997 bathing season with chemically assisted sedimentation and UV disinfection for sewage from St Merryn, Trevone and Padstow. Improvements were also made to the sewerage in Padstow, St Merryn, Harlyn and Trevone at that time. The treatment was subsequently upgraded to full secondary treatment and UV disinfection by April 2004. Improvements to seven storm overflows to the Camel Estuary at Padstow Harbour, Rock pumping station (PS), Eddystone Road (Wadebridge PS), and Porthilly combined sewer overflow (CSO) were also completed by April 2004, and improvements to Padstow South Quay CSO, Moyles Road and Egloshayle PS were completed by August 2004. The installation of UV disinfection at Wadebridge STW was completed by July 2004. Storm overflow event duration monitoring (EDM) was installed at Moyles Road, Padstow Foreshore and at the Rock, Porthilly Cove, Padstow Harbour pumping stations by December 2011. EDM is scheduled to be installed at the Porthilly CSO by April 2019.
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For the four year (2020-2023) assessment period where data is available, seaweed (macroalgae) was assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable for 8% of visits, with 87% of visits noting the presence of seaweed (macroalgae). This bathing water does not have a history of large amounts of seaweed (macro algae).
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Wrongly connected domestic waste water pipes can also affect the bathing water quality, particularly after periods of rainfall. 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 2% of visits. 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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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 Daymer Bay
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2024-09-30
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2024-05-01
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Streams and rivers are typically affected by human sewage, animal slurry and runoff from roads. This bathing water is in the River Camel Estuary where water quality is temporarily worse during and after heavy rainfall, and especially at low tide. Bathing water quality is also affected by the Daymer Stream and a small stream that flows through Trebetherick village.
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The village of Trebetherick is unsewered. The sewage from Polzeath is pumped to Pothilly STW for treatment. The outfall from the Porthilly STW discharges to the River Camel Estuary approximately three kilometres from the bathing water. This discharge is disinfected and 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 Daymer Bay 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 49% of visits. Tarry residue was not noted at this site.
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There are farms in the immediate bathing water catchment, most of which are dairy and arable. During and after periods of heavy rainfall, runoff to the Camel Estuary from agricultural land is greatly increased, and the quality of the bathing water can be reduced.
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There are caravan parks, hotels and homes that are not on the main sewerage system and have private sewage treatment arrangements. In 2012 the Environment Agency carried out a leaflet drop to inform local residents of the potential impact of septic tank discharges on bathing water quality. Since then no issues have been detected.
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The catchment surrounding Daymer Bay is approximately 39,700 hectares. The Daymer Stream is approximately two and a half kilometres long and flows through farmland north of Rock before entering the estuary at the beach 300m south of the Environment Agency monitoring point. Another small stream flows underground through Trebetherick village and enters the bathing water very close to its designated monitoring point. The bathing water is in the Camel Estuary and is influenced by the whole Camel Estuary system. The River Camel rises at 280m on Hendraburnick Down on Bodmin Moor, and drains the area between Bodmin Moor and Padstow including a diverse range of farming landscapes. It flows for approximately 40km over steep terrain before joining the estuary near Wadebridge. The estuary then meets the sea near Padstow. The Camel Valley and its major tributaries the rivers Allen, Ruthern and De Lank are currently designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). They have also been attributed Special Area of Conservation (SAC) status under the European Union Habitats Directive, due to the presence of otters and bullheads. Further designations include Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) status for the Camel Estuary and Area of Great Landscape Value (AGLV) status for the Camel and Allen valleys. Historically, mining and quarrying were important industries with slate quarrying still occurring at Delabole, towards the top of the River Allen. The upper and middle reaches of the Camel are essentially moorland, passing into woodland. Most of the undulating land is used for livestock farming, with mixed farming/rough grazing on the poorer land. The catchment includes the larger settlements of Bodmin, Wadebridge, Padstow and Camelford.
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Daymer Bay
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Daymer Bay
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Sampling point at Daymer Bay
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192830
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50.5613325702196
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-4.926484246445725
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77600
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Sampling point at Daymer Bay
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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 33200:1
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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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