St Annes is a resort beach with a small pier extending into the Irish Sea. Sand dunes
run along the edge of the sandy, flat beach which has up to one kilometre of exposed
sand at low tide.
The Fairhaven Car Park storm overflow and Sandgate Pumping Station overflow are no
longer in use. The flow has been diverted away from the bathing water by United Utilities.
There are numerous storm, emergency and surface water outfalls that discharge to the
River Ribble and its estuary. Sewer overflows operating during, and following, periods
of heavy rain, can result in a fall in quality of bathing water at St Annes. Fairhaven
Pumping Station, which discharges to the south of St Annes bathing water, has undergone
significant investment to protect bathing water quality. In 2013 a significant improvement
programme to overflows around the Preston area was completed by United Utilities to
protect bathing water quality. The programme included the construction of a large
storage tunnel (40,790 m3) to the south of the River Ribble to store storm flows as
well as a number of other individual schemes to improve storm and emergency overflows.
As part of the improvement programme of work for United Utilities (from 2015 to 2021)
the storm overflows from Chorley, Blackburn and Preston Sewage Treatment Works have
been improved to protect bathing water quality. The programme also requires that
storm overflows close to bathing waters will have equipment installed to monitor spills
to the environment. This will help to identify where bathing water improvements may
be needed in the future.
This bathing water is included in the Surfers Against Sewage “Safer Seas Service”.
This service can alert you to Combined Storm Sewer Overflow discharges via a phone
App and in addition, it includes the Environment Agency Pollution Risk Forecast warnings
where they are available. Further details of the service can be found at - http://www.sas.org.uk/safer-seas-service/
and via United Utilities website at http://www.unitedutilities.com/Bathing-Waters-Map.aspx.
There are a number of water company assets located on the River Ribble and its estuary
which can affect St Annes bathing water quality. The Environment Agency has worked
closely with United Utilities since the 1990s to make significant improvements to
the sewerage infrastructure around St Annes bathing water.
Sea Change, a £500 million coastal clean-up, was launched in 1994 by the Environment
Agency in conjunction with United Utilities, to improve the bathing water quality
in the North West, particularly along the Fylde Coast. Under this programme United
Utilities made improvements at Fairhaven Pumping Station to reduce storm overflows
to the sea, upgraded Preston Sewage Treatment Works and built a new sewage treatment
works at Southport which has improved bathing water quality at St Annes.
Over the last 20 years United Utilities has provided disinfection at Southport, Wigan,
Skelmersdale, Hesketh Bank and Preston Sewage Treatment Works to improve bathing water
quality. Large storage tanks have also been built at Preston, Wigan and Southport
Sewage Treatment Works to reduce the storm overflows. Improvements have also been
made to the Fairhaven, Lytham and Ballam Road Pumping Stations to protect bathing
water quality.
In the late 1990s storage was provided by United Utilities at three inland locations
in Preston (Haslam Park, Cattle Market and Ramsay Avenue) to protect river and bathing
water quality. These discharges were further improved between 2003 and 2005.
Since 1997 the Environment Agency has studied the Ribble Estuary to identify potential
impacts on the bathing waters at the mouth of the estuary, including St Annes. A computer
model has been developed to predict the impact of pollution sources, including water
company discharges, on bathing water quality.
The Environment Agency can use a DNA identification technique to help show whether
sources of pollution are of human or animal origin. In 2009 and 2010 this method was
used at St Annes and has helped target Environment Agency investigations and identify
corrective action.
In 2011 the Environment Agency surveyed streams around St Annes to identify sources
of contamination. We have investigated the significant issues found and required improvements
where needed.
The Environment Agency contributed to a 4 year research project - Cloud 2 Coast -
running between 2011 and 2015 delivered by the Universities of Sheffield, Cardiff
and Aberystwyth. The project developed river and coastal models of the Ribble catchment
to understand the catchment sources which could impact bathing water quality. The
project looked at options for managing these sources to improve bathing water quality.
The Environment Agency has been working with Fylde Council to identify opportunities
to work collaboratively to deliver water quality improvements at the bathing water.
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 85% of visits. This bathing water does not have a history of large amounts
of seaweed (macro algae).
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.
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 11% of visits. This bathing water can be affected
by occasional blooms of Phytoplankton (microscopic algae) which are not harmful, but
can result in the water appearing discoloured or a foam forming on the water.
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.
This bathing water is subject to short term pollution procedures. The Environment
Agency makes a daily pollution risk forecast at this site based on the effects of
rain, tide, wind, sunlight and seasonality on bathing water quality. These factors
affect the levels of bacteria that get washed into the sea from livestock, sewage
and urban drainage via rivers and streams and how they disperse.
When these factors combine to make short term pollution likely we issue a pollution
risk warning on this website and the beach manager will display a sign advising against
bathing at the bathing water. After a short term pollution event, levels of bacteria
typically return to normal after a day or so but it’s possible to have several warning
days in a row. Details of the work to reduce the sources of bacteria at this bathing
water are detailed in this profile.
In 2023 29 pollution risk warnings were issued for this bathing water.
All bathing waters have the potential to be affected by a pollution incident and if
this occurs a pollution risk warning will be issued with associated advice against
bathing on this website.
A step change improvement in bathing water quality at St Annes was identified from
5th May 2014 due to improvements made to United Utilities assets within the Ribble
catchment. Bathing water quality monitoring samples collected prior to this date shall
not be used for classification.
There are a number of sewage treatment works, including Southport and Preston, which
can impact St Annes bathing water quality. However, they all have disinfection provided
ensuring bathing water quality is protected.
During 2012 United Utilities upgraded Blackburn Sewage Treatment Works providing disinfection
to deliver bathing water improvements.
Environment Agency samplers make observations of litter present on the beach at every
visit, this includes assessments of sewage debris, litter and tar. At St Annes for
the four year (2020-2023) assessment period where data is available, sewage debris
was not assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable, but was observed as being
present on 2% of visits. Litter was assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable
for 2% of visits, with 82% of visits noting the presence of litter. Tarry residue
was not noted at this site.
The River Ribble catchment contains significant areas of farmland both around the
estuary and further inland. Grazing on the Ribble Estuary salt marshes can impact
St Annes bathing water. During and after periods of heavy rainfall excess water may
not soak into agricultural land causing run off into rivers and the sea. High spring
tides can cover the salt marsh and cause wash off from the land. The quality of the
bathing water may decline as a result of such events.
Catchment Sensitive Farming, delivered by Natural England in partnership with the
Environment Agency, delivers practical solutions and targeted support to enable farmers
and land managers to take voluntary action to reduce diffuse water pollution from
agriculture to protect water bodies and the environment. Actions include a programme
of educational events for farmers, advice to farmers and land managers, farm visits,
and surveys of the area to identify pollution risks. Catchment Sensitive Farming,
an advice-led project, delivering targeted advice to reduce water pollution is underway
within the River Ribble catchment. It enables farmers and land managers to take action
to reduce the impact from farms on water quality.
Ribble Rivers Trust focussed their Tidal Ribble Project, in collaboration with Unitied
Utilities and Environment Agency, on farms that have benefitted from on-farm interventions
to reduce pollution risk. Interventions such as fencing, roofing slurry stores and
dirty water seperation have been applied and continue to be installed.
In 2014 the Environment Agency investigated sources of pollution in the local catchment.
A number of minor issues were found which the Environment Agency resolved helping
improve bathing water quality.
The bathing water is located at the southern end of the Fylde coastline in Lancashire.
The town of Lytham St Annes sits behind the beach. The wider catchment has mixed use
with the land immediately behind the beach being predominantly urban and becoming
more agricultural further inland. The River Ribble discharges to the sea immediately
south of the bathing water.
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 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's role to drive improvement of water quality at bathing
waters that are at risk of failing higher 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.