2014 Bathing Water Profile for Abereiddy
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Abereiddy is a sandy/shingle beach popular with tourist and residents alike, especially with coasteerers, divers and surfers. The area also provides an ideal location for bathing, kayaking and fishing. Abereiddy lies within Castell Coch Cliffs and Llanfryn Quarries Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Trwyncastell Cliffs and the Blue Lagoon SSSI, with the bathing water itself being contained within Pembrokeshire marine Special Area of Conservation (mSAC). A large car park adjoins the beach and public toilets are open from Easter to October half-term. The beach is located within Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, which is popular with both tourists and local residents. The popular Blue Lagoon, a large disused slate quarry, now filled with seawater, is located to the north of the beach. Natural Resources Wales’s designated sample point is located in the centre of the beach.
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Pembrokeshire
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The bathing water is newly designated for 2012. Investigations prior to the 2012 bathing season will identify potential sources of contamination and seek to reduce the risks. 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).
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There are no known Dŵr Cymru assets in the vicinity of this bathing water.
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There are no known Dŵr Cymru assets in the vicinity of this bathing water.
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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. Natural Resources Wales and Pembrokeshire County Council will work together to improve the bathing water quality at Abereiddy.
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This bathing water does not have a history of large amounts of seaweed (macroalgae).
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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.
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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 algal blooms can occur at any beach during the bathing season and are usually noticeable by a surface scum. This beach does not have a history of such blooms.
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2014 Bathing Water Profile for Abereiddy
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A small stream issues onto the bathing water, a second small stream also issues to the south of the beach, both of which drain agricultural land and may contain sources of diffuse pollution under certain conditions such as during and immediately following heavy rainfall.
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There are no known Dŵr Cymru assets in the vicinity of this bathing water.
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Significant areas of pastureland, occupied by livestock, feature in the largely agricultural catchment of Abereiddy. Should agricultural practices in the catchment be seen to be causing an impact on the bathing waters at Abereiddy, Natural Resources Wales will endeavour to work with the farming community to reduce the risks.
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Should industrial practices in the catchment be seen to be causing an impact on the bathing waters at Abereiddy, Natural Resources Wales will endeavour to work to reduce the risks.
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Natural Resources Wales continues to work with private owners regarding potential pollution sources. 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 qualifying private sewage systems in Wales was 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 discharges from properties are identified in the catchment that are not on mains sewerage, Natural Resources Wales will endeavour to ensure registration has been made, unless already a permitted discharge. Natural Resources Wales places a high value on public participation in helping to trace sources of environmental pollution. Natural Resources Wales welcomes any comments or information from the pubic with regards to environmental pollution.
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The natural drainage (hydrological) catchment surrounding the bathing water is mainly agricultural, with several large farms located within the vicinity of the catchment. There is a small stream which issues onto the beach that drains agricultural land and may contain sources of diffuse pollution during rainfall.
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2014 38520:1
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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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