2024 Bathing Water Profile for Stoke Gabriel, Dart Estuary
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Stoke Gabriel is a small harbour within the Dart Estuary, Devon. It is a small section of the Estuary, approximately 60 metres wide downstream of millpond. It can be accessed from the shingle ridge. Due to flow in the estuary swimming is only accessible at high tide.
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South Hams District
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Devon
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The Environment Agency works with the water companies, local authorities and others to investigate any sources of contamination and to improve water quality at local bathing waters. The Environment Agency continues to work with and support local environmental groups with citizen science sampling projects on the Dart and its tributaries.
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There are a number of permitted storm overflows that discharge into the River Dart and Estuary. In the 1km section of the designated bathing water, Stoke Gabriel pump station has a permitted storm & emergency overflow that discharges into the bathing water. There is also a Combined sewer overflow (Scout Hut) that discharges into mill pool. When these outfalls are operating, they discharge diluted effluent into the river which may result in reduced bathing water quality.
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South West Water has made significant sewage improvements in the Dart Estuary over several rounds of investment. Several Sewage Treatment Works in the estuary have undergone improvement schemes to provide secondary treatment and ultraviolet (UV) disinfection. Many storm overflows across the Dart Estuary have been upgraded to enhance environmental protection. Storm overflow event duration monitoring (EDM) has been installed at all storm overflows across the South West Water Network, and all data is publicly available. Since 2023, South West Water has been conducting a project to investigate water quality in this catchment through the Dart and Tavy Bathing Water Pilot. This project includes additional monitoring beyond statutory requirements and accelerated investment in assets and infrastructure.
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This bathing water has some history of large amounts of seaweed (macro algae) and can become covered with large amounts of seaweed at certain times of the year, depending on tides and the weather. Groynes and rocks, platforms or other fixed objects may also develop 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. Wrongly connected domestic waste water pipes can also affect the bathing water quality. We have checked the local sewerage system for misconnections. We are working with South Hams District Council and South West Water to identify and rectify any problems when they arise.
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Phytoplankton (microscopic algae) naturally increase in number at certain times of the year. This process is known as a phytoplankton bloom. These blooms can discolour the water or form as a foam on the water. 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 Stoke Gabriel, Dart Estuary
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2024-09-30
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2024-05-01
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This bathing water is within Dart Estuary which can be affected after heavy rainfall. It will contain a mixture of sea water from the tidal estuary and freshwater spilling over from Mill Pool. The pool is fed by the Yalberton stream and Meadow brook
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Sewage from Galmpton and Stoke Gabriel is pumped to the Brokenbury Quarry STW for treatment and discharges through the outfall at Sharkham Point. The closet upstream Sewage Treatment Works (STW) final effluent outfall is located over 10 km away in Totnes. The treatment includes secondary treatment and ultraviolet (UV) disinfection.
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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.
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Part of the Environment Agency's role is to work with farmers to reduce the effects of farming on water quality. The Environment Agency provide advice to farmers on how to comply with regulations and good practice on farms to ensure that pollution entering watercourses is minimised. This bathing water is within the South Devon National Landscape. The National Landscape, through Farming in Protected Landscapes and the South Devon Connectivity Farm Facilitation Group, has been providing advice and funding to landowners within the catchment to benefit water quality.
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This bathing water designation was submitted by the Friend of the Dart group. The group is a catchment focused action group working to minimise pollution, improve biodiversity and empower communities from source to sea. The Environment Agency will be working with the group and others in the catchment to ensure source of pollution are managed and rectified where possible.
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There are a number of private sewage treatment plants and septic tanks within the catchment and the Environment Agency continues to work with the owners to ensure that these are adequately maintained and do not impact on the water quality of the streams they discharge to.
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The Dart Estuary catchment area covers approximately 48,000 hectares. The river Dart originates in north Dartmoor and stretches about 28 kilometers in length. It passes through Dartmeet, Buckfastleigh, Totnes, and Dartmouth, and finally reaches the estuary mouth at Kingswear. The Dart Estuary is affected by tides up to the weir at Totnes, and like other estuaries in the South West, it was formed by the flooding of the original deep river valley due to rising sea levels. This resulted in the characteristic deep waters and steep-sided banks of a ria. The main tributaries that flow into the estuary are the rivers Hems and Harbourne. The catchment area is mainly used for agriculture and tourism.
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Stoke Gabriel, Dart Estuary
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Stoke Gabriel, Dart Estuary
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Sampling point at Stoke Gabriel, Dart Estuary
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284754
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50.40036
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-3.62295
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56870
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Sampling point at Stoke Gabriel, Dart Estuary
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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 24620:1
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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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