2014 Bathing Water Profile for Cemaes
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Measuring approximately 350 metres, facing north into the Irish Sea, Cemaes is an enclosed sandy bay, backed by a promenade. There is a concrete jetty in the southwest corner of the bay, which provides a small harbour for leisure craft and some inshore fishing vessels. The water quality sample point is located opposite the car park, approximately 50 metres east of the harbour. The beach lies within the Anglesey Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and part of the beach is within the North Anglesey Heritage Coast.
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Isle of Anglesey
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Natural Resources Wales works to establish sources of pollution around Cemaes Bay. Some of this work is carried out in partnership with Anglesey County Council and Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water. Inspections are carried out by Natural Resources Wales in partnership with the local authority and the water company. These are carried out pre-season (before the 1st of May) and mid season if required (during the bathing water season). Natural Resources Wales has carried out a DNA analysis in the upper reaches of the catchment to analyse which areas have high levels of bacteria. The results help to target pollution prevention work in areas of high bacterial contamination that could affect water quality. The Elimbac trial is continuing with higher dosages to kill off viruses
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Within the Wygyr catchment, there is one intermittent discharge from Llanfechell Sewage Pumping Station. After periods of rainfall, this discharge could have an adverse affect on bathing water quality. There is a pumping station at Cemaes Bay, which also discharges under storm or emergency conditions, however this effluent is discharged directly to coastal waters.
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Natural Resources Wales has developed a good working relationship with Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water and liaises regularly to identify problems that could affect bathing water quality. Natural Resources Wales is working with Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water to trial a programme of disinfection at Llanfechell Sewage Treatment Works. This is part of a long term initiative to reduce levels of bacteria entering the Wygyr and ultimately the bathing waters.
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Natural Resources Wales has been working with Anglesey Council to deal with the septic tank serving the toilet block at the beach. A temporary fix is in place. A connection to sewer is being considered.
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This bathing water does not have a history of large amounts of seaweed (macroalgae).
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Wrongly connected waste water pipes can affect the water quality of rivers and the sea. Natural Resources Wales is working with home owners on a housing estate in Llanfechell to resolve misconnections which are contaminating surface water entering the river. 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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Phytoplankton (microscopic algae) naturally increase in number at certain times of the year. This process is known as a phytoplankton bloom. Algal Blooms can occur at any beach during the bathing season and are usually noticeable by a surface scum. This beach has no history of such blooms.
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2014 Bathing Water Profile for Cemaes
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The Wygyr is the main river in this catchment and drains a mainly agricultural catchment. Llanfechell Sewage Treatment Works discharges into the Meddanen, the main tributary of the Wygyr. The rest of the catchment is served by small tributaries and ditches, which drain towards the Wygyr and the coastline.
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Agriculture dominates the Wygyr catchment. Natural Resources Wales has been working with the farmers for several years to review the farming practices and ensure they are not contributing to problems with bathing water quality. Monitoring indicates that the Meddanen, a tributary of the River Wygyr, had particularly high levels of bacteria. As a result, a number of farms were visited and given advice and guidance.
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Poorly maintained private sewage treatment facilities could be a source of pollution, therefore the registration of all private sewage systems in Wales is required by 30 June 2012. The primary aim of this exercise is to provide increased protection for the environment and sensitive features such as bathing water beaches. Where properties are identified in the catchment that are not on mains sewerage, Natural Resources Wales will endeavour to ensure registration has been made.
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The natural drainage (hydrological) catchment immediately surrounding the bathing water is initially urban, being the town of Cemaes Bay, then further into the catchment the land becomes rural. The majority of the catchment is dominated by agriculture, and drained by the River Wygyr, which discharges onto the bathing beach.
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2014 40050:1
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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 and Wales 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 and Natural Resources Wales role to drive improvement of water quality at bathing waters that are at risk of failing European 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 and Wales since the 1980s.
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