2014 Bathing Water Profile for Criccieth
-
The beach is south facing, made up of sand and pebble, located to the west of Porthmadog and backed by a promenade. The water quality sample point is located opposite the public toilets. The bathing water lies within the Lleyn Peninsula and the Sarnau Special Area of Conservation. To the east is the Tiroedd a Glannau Rhwng Cricieth AC Afon Glaslyn Site of Special Scientific Interest, and to the west is the Glanllynnau a Glannau Pen-ychain I Cricieth Site of Special Scientific Interest.
-
Gwynedd
-
Natural Resources Wales works to establish sources of pollution around Criccieth. Some of this work is carried out in partnership with Gwynedd 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).
-
There are several storm discharges in the Criccieth catchment. There are 2 combined sewer overflows that discharge within 200 metres of the designated bathing beach. To the east of the beach, is Criccieth East Pumping Station, with the Criccieth West Pumping Station a kilometre to the west. All of these discharge directly to coastal waters through short outfalls.
-
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. Criccieth Sewage Treatment Works is located approximately 1.5 kilometres west of the main town and discharges treated effluent via a long sea outfall.
-
Natural Resources Wales and Gwynedd Council have been working together to improve the bathing water quality at Criccieth for a number of years. This includes tracing the sources of pollution from household toilet and utility misconnections to the private and public surface water system that discharge into Criccieth bathing waters.
-
This bathing water does not have a history of large amounts of seaweed (macroalgae).
-
Wrongly connected waste water pipes can affect the water quality of rivers and the sea. A misconnection survey of Mona Terrace (Penpaled stream and Nant y Cwrt) was carried out in partnership with Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water and Gwynedd Council. The survey confirmed misconnections at Mona Terrace. These have now been rectified. 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.
-
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.
-
2014 Bathing Water Profile for Criccieth
-
Streams are typically affected by sewage or industrial run off from further up the catchment. The three main streams that have an impact on the bathing waters of Criccieth are Penpaled, Ffrwd y Brain and Ceunant Ddu, all of which run through agricultural areas and may be a source of reduced water quality after heavy rainfall.
-
Criccieth Sewage Treatment Works provides tertiary treatment with ultra violet disinfection prior to discharge, which protects the bathing water quality.
-
Natural Resources Wales continues to work with private owners regarding potential pollution sources to the bathing water. This work involves where necessary, advisory mail drops, dye tracing, misconnection surveys and face to face meetings. 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.
-
The natural drainage (hydrological) catchment immediately behind the beach is urban, consisting of the main town of Criccieth. The town extends approximately 800 metres inland and a kilometre east and west of the beach. Behind the town, managed grassland dominates the catchment with pockets of forestry and woodland. The Penpaled and Ffrwd y Brain watercourses are culverted through parts of Criccieth, before flowing onto the beach near to the designated sample point.
-
2014 39700:1
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Discharges from sewage treatment works have improved substantially in England and Wales since the 1980s.
-
