The beach is located opposite the town of Pensarn, within a long sandy stretch of beach, which extends over 8 kilometres, from Kinmel Bay to Llanddulas. The bathing water has a large tidal range, and is gently sloping from the low tide mark to the high tide pebbled area. The water quality sample point lies opposite Pensarn train station.
Natural Resources Wales works to establish sources of pollution around Pensarn. Some of this work is carried out in partnership with Conwy Borough 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 two intermittent discharges into coastal waters around Pensarn. Pensarn Sewage Pumping Station discharges directly into Abergele and Pensarn bathing waters, 750m east of Pensarn Beach sample point. This is only consented to discharge during storm events. Llandulas Sewage Pumping Station discharges to the coastal waters 3.5 kilometres west of Pensarn. This is only consented to discharge during storm events.
Kinmel Bay Sewage Treatment Works discharges secondary treated final effluent through a 4 kilometre outfall pipe. The length of this outfall pipe was determined using modelling equipment, which predicted the discharge should not impact water quality near to the bathing water.
Natural Resources Wales and Conwy Borough Council have been working together to monitor and maintain the bathing water quality at Pensarn for a number of years. This includes working to trace the sources of pollution from household toilet and utility misconnections to the private and public surface water system, discharging to Pensarn. Work is currently ongoing to improve the water quality of the stream opposite Hen Wrych Farm.
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 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.
The River Clwyd does not normally impact on water quality at Abergele (Pensarn), as it enters the coastal water 6 kilometres to the east. During periods of heavy rainfall and certain tidal conditions this may change. The River Dulas, which is approximately 3.5 kilometres west of the beach, can influence bathing waters at Pensarn during certain tidal conditions.
Farming dominates the Clwyd Valley, this includes dairying, beef and sheep. A project was set up in 2006 to improve water quality in the River Clwyd by minimising the impact of diffuse pollution run off from farms. Many farms in the main valley and the major catchment have been given advice and shared best practice.
Advice has been given on use of fertiliser, "dirty water" management and land spreading. This will minimise the amount of wastewater and nutrients entering the river system.
A project was set up in 2006 to improve the water quality of the River Clwyd, including some work to reduce the impact of industrial pollution. Industry in the valley is relatively minor and is mostly associated with small industrial parks. The key concern is to ensure that clean and dirty water is being disposed of correctly. A number of industrial estates have been visited and given pollution prevention advice, in particular Tir Llwyd Enterprise Park situated inland to the rear of Kinmel Bay.
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. A project was set up in 2006 to improve water quality in the River Clwyd and some of this work involved working with private owners to minimise the impact of private discharges. Work is currently ongoing to investigate the water quality of the stream opposite Hen Wrych Farm.
Recent work carried out in Kinmel Bay identified a number of domestic properties where waste water pipes were wrongly connected. Natural Resources Wales and Conwy County Council worked together to rectify these misconnections.
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 surrounding the bathing water is primarily man-made and drains away from the Abergele and Pensarn area to the Clwyd Estuary. This enters the bathing waters to the west of Rhyl. Two small streams drain the Abergele area, entering the bathing waters a short distance to the west of Pensarn Beach. A third stream enters the shingle on the beach opposite Hen Wrych Farm.
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.