Cleveleys is a sandy bathing water with small areas of rocks and pebbles. Groynes
stretch for several kilometres up and down the coastline on either side of the bathing
water. The beach is slightly sloping with some undulations caused by the tide.
Alongside the Fleetwood Sewage Treatment Works improvements, the Manchester Square
Pumping Station and the Bloomfield Road storage tanks in Blackpool were upgraded in
2010. Further work providing additional storm sewage storage at Fleetwood Sewage Treatment
Works and the Bloomfield Road storage tanks was completed in 2015 which has helped
improve bathing water quality at Bispham.
As part of the improvement programme of work for United Utilities (from 2015 to 2020)
further work has been completed to reduce the impact of storm discharges from the
Anchorsholme, Manchester Square and Chatsworth Avenue Pumping Stations and improve
bathing water quality on the Fylde coast in Lancashire.
In 2015 Harrowside outfall pipe was replaced with a new, longer pipe that can deal
with larger flows of storm water 1km out to sea.
In April 2018 work was completed in the Marton Moss area to reduce the amount of surface
water (rainwater) entering the sewer network. Removing surface water from the system
creates more space for foul sewage and hence reduces the number of spills from the
Manchester Square and Chatsworth Avenue outfalls. Surface water connections in the
area were identified and have now been redirected to a new surface water pumping station
(Magnolia Pumping Station). The surface water is then pumped out to sea via Harrowside
Outfall. Additional drainage basins (mostly dry, green open spaces) have been created
to store surface water during heavy rainfall. To ease the amount of water going through
the combined waste water network during heavy rainfall an underground storm water
tank has been constructed at Fishers Field to store excess storm water until it can
be treated.
The Anchorsholme scheme was completed in 2019. Phase one of the Anchorsholme scheme
was the construction of a 30 metre deep storm tank to hold 12,000m3 of untreated stormwater
until it can be treated. Phase two involved the relocation of the pumping station
from the headland to the park so that new structures could be built to screen and
control what flows in and out of the pumping station and the third phase was building
a 3.7km long outfall pipe which discharges the excess screened storm water further
out to sea.
The programme also requires that storm overflows close to bathing waters 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 along the Fylde coast which can affect
Cleveleys’ bathing water quality. The Environment Agency has worked closely with United
Utilities since the 1990s to make significant improvements to the sewerage infrastructure
around this bathing water.
Sea Change, a £500 million coastal clean-up project, was launched in 1994 by the Environment
Agency in conjunction with United Utilities, to improve bathing water quality in the
North West, particularly along the Fylde Coast. Under this programme in the Blackpool
area United Utilities made improvements by constructing a tunnel to provide storage
for storm discharges and transferring flows from four coastal pumping stations serving
the Blackpool area to a new sewage treatment works at Fleetwood. Large storage tanks
have also been built at Fleetwood Sewage Treatment Works, together with large storage
tanks in central Blackpool to reduce the number of storm overflows. Fleetwood Sewage
Treatment Works discharges via a long sea outfall to the Lune Deeps in the Irish Sea.
To the north of Cleveleys bathing water there has been further improvement work completed.
Poulton Sewage Treatment Works was closed in 1996 and Hambleton Sewage Treatment Works
was closed in 1999 with their flows diverted for treatment at Fleetwood Sewage Treatment
Works. Preesall Sewage Treatment Works was improved in 1999 with the addition of disinfection
to protect bathing water quality. The Works was further upgraded in 2005 to improve
treatment following improvements to the sewerage system around the Pilling Lane and
Knott End areas in 2003. Additional storm storage provision was added at Preesall
in 2007. Pilling Sewage Treatment Works was improved in 2003 providing disinfection
to protect bathing water. Improvements were also made by United Utilities in 2008
to seven storm and emergency outfalls to protect bathing water quality in this area.
The Environment Agency undertook a study to identify diffuse pollution sources within
the River Wyre catchment. This has helped us to confirm those discharges that could
affect bathing water quality at Cleveleys. This study was built upon in 2008 by work
that identified improvements to four storm overflows discharging to the Wyre Estuary.
In 2011 the Environment Agency surveyed the catchment around Cleveleys to identify
sources of contamination. Where significant issues were found these have been investigated
and improvements made where needed.
Between January and March 2012 the Environment Agency also surveyed surface water
drains in this area to identify any sources of contamination. The Environment Agency
is working with United Utilities, the local authority and householders to resolve
misconnection issues identified in the survey.
An investigation into the cause of large amounts of foam which can, under certain
weather conditions, be washed up on Cleveleys bathing water is on-going.
The promenade along the Cleveleys seafront has many highway and surface water drains
which flow onto the beach. These are not known to cause a decline in bathing water
quality.
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 76% 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.
Between January and March 2012 the Environment Agency surveyed part of the surface
water catchment close to Cleveleys to identify any sources of contamination. The Environment
Agency is working with United Utilities, the local authority and householders to resolve
misconnection issues identified in the survey. In addition further work led by United
Utilities has been progressing since 2013 on the surface water catchment to further
pinpoint sources of contamination which can affect bathing water quality at Cleveleys.
The Environment Agency have worked with 3rd year BSc Marine Biology students from
Blackpool & Fylde college on a collaborative project to obtain detailed sample results
from small outfalls on the North Blackpool coast to assess water quality and direct
action as necessary.
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 5% of visits. Phytoplankton (microscopic algae) naturally
increase in number at certain times of the year. This process is known as a phytoplankton
bloom. 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.
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 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 15 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.
United Utilities upgraded Fleetwood Sewage Treatment Works located to the north of
Cleveleys in 2010. This has improved the sewerage system on the Fylde coast by reducing
storm and emergency overflows to the sea improving bathing water quality.
Environment Agency samplers make observations of litter present on the beach at every
visit, this includes assessments of sewage debris, litter and tar. At Cleveleys 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 not assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable,
but was observed as being present on 61% of visits. Tarry residue was not noted at
this site.
Wyre Rivers Trust focussed their Tidal Wyre 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.
The ‘Call of Nature’ campaign was run by Morecambe Bay Partnership with the support
of the North West Catchment Partnerships, which resulted in the development of user
friendly materials to educate private sewage treatment plant owners into maintenance
requirement and ways to identify causes for concern. Materials were developed as printed
documents but also available on the web and mobile friendly web page at http://www.callofnature.info/
The bathing water is on Lancashire's low-lying north west coastline. It is surrounded
by urban areas with agricultural land further inland. Most surface water in the catchment
is diverted away from 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.