2024 Bathing Water Profile for South Shields
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South Shields Beach is a resort beach south of the mouth of the River Tyne. It is a gently sloping sandy beach, 1.5 kilometres long.
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South Tyneside
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Tyne & Wear
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There are no emergency or storm discharges directly to the bathing water nor adjacent to it.
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The sewerage system in South Shields has directed flows to outfalls in the Tyne Estuary and away from the beach. In the late 1970s/1980s, an interceptor sewer was built to take sewage to a new treatment works at Howdon.
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2024 Bathing Water Profile for South Shields
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For the four year (2020-2023) assessment period where data is available, seaweed (macroalgae) was not assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable, but was observed as being present on 72% of visits. Environment Agency research suggests this bathing water does not have a history of large amounts of seaweed (macro algae).
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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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For the four year (2020-2023) assessment period where data is available, phytoplankton (microscopic algae) was not assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable, but was observed as being present on 2% of visits. Environment Agency research suggests this bathing water does not have a history of phytoplankton blooms. The risks to human health from contact, ingestion or inhalation with marine algae that currently occur in UK coastal waters are considered to be low. However, some individuals may be more sensitive and display some reactions. A common marine algae found in UK coastal waters is Phaeocystis, which is often mistaken for sewage as it forms foam and a brown scum, but it is non-toxic.
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There are no active pollution risk forecasts made at this bathing water. However any bathing water has the potential to be affected by a pollution incident and if this occurs a pollution risk warning with associated advice against bathing will be issued on this website.
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2024 Bathing Water Profile for South Shields
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2024-09-30
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2024-05-01
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This bathing water typically achieves a high water quality standard.
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There are no active pollution risk forecasts made at this bathing water. However any bathing water has the potential to be affected by a pollution incident and if this occurs a pollution risk warning with associated advice against bathing will be issued on the bathing water profile.
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In 2000, the treatment works at Howdon was upgraded to provide a higher level of treatment and disinfection using ultraviolet light.
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Environment Agency samplers make observations of litter present on the beach at every visit, this includes assessments of sewage debris, litter and tar. At South Shields for the four year (2020-2023) assessment period where data is available, sewage debris was not noted at this site. Litter was assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable for 2% of visits, with 63% of visits noting the presence of litter. Tarry residue was not noted at this site.
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The beach is close to the mouth of the River Tyne, which has a catchment of approximately 3000 square kilometres. It rises in Pennine moorland, draining a largely agricultural catchment before reaching the sea via an urban/industrial estuary. There are no local streams that can affect bathing water quality.
