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http://environment.data.gov.uk/data/bathing-water-profile/ukc2102-03600/2014:1
bathing water description | Spittal Beach is a gently sloping resort beach approximately one kilometre long situated immediately south of the mouth of the River Tweed. | ![]() |
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county name | Northumberland | ![]() |
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eso outfalls statement | A combined sewer overflow (CSO) which could discharge onto the beach during heavy rainfall was removed in early 2012. Other CSOs discharge to the estuary and contribute to pollution at the bathing water when river flows are high during wet weather. | ![]() |
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history statement | Since 1995, the Environment Agency have worked closely with Northumbrian Water to identify and deliver significant investment in the sewage infrastructure around this bathing water. Most recently, an investigation by Northumbrian water into the effects of their systems on bating water quality has led to improvements at 2 CSOs. | ![]() |
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investigations statement | The Environment Agency's investigations have been aimed at identifying non water company sources of pollution that may be affecting the bathing water so that we can implement measures to address them. We believe that agricultural sources in the Tweed catchment may be significant, particularly in wet weather, although we have not found evidence pointing to any particularly important source. | ![]() |
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macro algae statement | Environment Agency research suggests this bathing water does not have a history of large amounts of seaweed (macroalgae). | ![]() |
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misconnections statement | 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 statement | Environment Agency research suggests this bathing water does not have a history of phytoplankton blooms. | ![]() |
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streams rivers statement | The Tweed Estuary discharges to the sea at the north end of the bathing water. Diffuse run off from agricultural land and upstream settlements affects the bacteriological quality of the river. After heavy rain, this can have a short-term impact on bathing water quality. High river flows also shorten residence times in the estuary, exacerbating the impact of discharges from the sewerage system in and around Berwick. | ![]() |
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stw outfalls statement | Sewage from Berwick, Spittal and Tweedmouth is treated at a sewage works that discharges to the Tweed estuary to the west of the town. | ![]() |
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version string | 1 | ![]() |
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working with farmers statement | The catchment of the River Tweed is largely agricultural with a mixture of arable and livestock farming. During and after periods of heavy rainfall, runoff from agricultural areas will be greatly increased. The quality of the bathing water may be adversely affected as a result of such events. The limited data collected on sources of bacteria suggests that livestock are a significant source, particularly when river flows are high, and we are aiming to raise awareness of this in the farming community. | ![]() |
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zoi description | The River Tweed rises over 100km to the west and drains a catchment of approx 4000 sq km. The lower part of the catchment which influences bathing water quality is predominantly devoted to arable and livestock farming. The historic town of Berwick-upon-Tweed and its satellites, Spittal and Tweedmouth, lie at the mouth of the estuary. | ![]() |
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bathing water |
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local authority | Northumberland | ![]() |
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source | line=0001 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
standard language collection |
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web res image | ukc2102-03600_1-webres.jpg |