Meols beach at Dove Point is an undulating sandy beach with sand banks visible from
the shore at high tide. The beach overlooks Liverpool Bay and the Mersey Estuary.
A coastal road and promenade sits behind the beach and extends southwest from the
bathing water.
There is a storm overflow located to the south west of the bathing water at Stanley
Road in Hoylake. There are three surface water outfalls that discharge clean surface
water to the beach. There is no impact on bathing water quality from these outfalls.
Under the programme of work for United Utilities (from 2015 to 2020) all storm overflows
close to bathing waters have had 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/
In 1996 United Utilities built the Wallasey storage tank designed to reduce the storm
discharges on the North Wirral coast to the north east of the Meols bathing water.
This will have helped improve the bathing water quality.
Meols Sewage Treatment Works, located directly inland from Meols bathing water, was
upgraded by United Utilities in 2001 to improve the treatment process. It was upgraded
again in 2005 to provide disinfection of the treated discharge to protect bathing
water quality. The sewage treatment works discharges through a long sea outfall which
runs five kilometres out to sea with no known impact on the bathing water.
In 2001 a storm overflow at Kings Gap in Hoylake to the south west of Meols bathing
water was closed by United Utilities to protect bathing water quality.
In 1999 the Environment Agency undertook two surveys of the long sea outfall through
which the Meols Sewage Treatment Works discharges to the Irish Sea. The surveys found
that the impact from the long sea outfall on bathing water quality was minimal.
The Environment Agency supported a study by United Utilities to identify the discharges
that contribute to the amount of bacteria in the Mersey Estuary to help improve the
shellfish waters located on the Wirral. The study was completed in 2012 and has helped
identify discharges which could impact the Wirral bathing waters including Meols.
The findings of the study were built on in United Utilities’ programme of investment
(2015 to 2020) by updating and extending the Mersey Estuary model. This has been used
to help identify and prioritise further potential improvements in relation to the
bathing waters.
The Environment Agency carried out a study of the surface waters discharging into
the coastal area to the east of Meols which confirmed there were no impacts from the
surface waters on 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 42% 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 assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable for 3% of
visits, with 33% of visits noting the presence of phytoplankton (microscopic algae).
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.
The Environment Agency makes a daily pollution risk forecast at this site based on
the effects of rain 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 cause a temporary reduction in water quality, we will
issue a pollution risk warning on this website. Water quality will 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 no 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.
The Meols bathing water is located on the northern end of the Wirral Peninsula. To
the south west of the peninsula is the Dee Estuary, whilst to the north east is the
Mersey Estuary. Both the River Dee and River Mersey flow through large inland areas.
The Mersey catchment in particular is heavily built up around the cities of Liverpool
and Manchester. The Mersey Estuary is understood to have limited impact on the Meols
bathing water as the estuary generally flows directly out into the Irish Sea and does
not reach the bathing waters on the northern end of the Wirral peninsula. The study
with the Mersey Estuary Model sought to clarify this.
Environment Agency samplers make observations of litter present on the beach at every
visit, this includes assessments of sewage debris, litter and tar. At Meols 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 3% of visits. Litter was assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable for 5%
of visits, with 56% of visits noting the presence of litter. Tarry residue was not
assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable, but was observed as being present
on 2% of visits.
The bathing water is situated on the low lying Wirral peninsula. There are several
local surface water outfalls draining through the sea wall. These drain the urban
area surrounding the bathing water. Although the wider surrounding area is predominantly
urban, there is some agricultural land use in the catchment.
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 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.
