The beach is at the top of the Wirral peninsula facing north westerly into the Mersey
Estuary and Liverpool Bay. It has a gently sloping gradient of golden sand. On an
average high tide the sea covers the beach up to the sea wall.
The New Brighton Pumping Station located six kilometres to the north east of Moreton
bathing water was upgraded by United Utilities in 2008 to reduce the number of discharges
made during the summer. The improvements, which were designed to protect bathing water
quality at Wallasey bathing water, will also have protected the quality at Moreton
bathing water.
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 detention tank designed to reduce the
storm discharges on the North Wirral coast to the north east of the Moreton bathing
water which will have helped improve bathing water quality.
Meols Sewage Treatment Works located to the south of Moreton bathing water was upgraded
by United Utilities in 2001 to provide improved treatment. The sewage treatment works
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 and there is no known impact on the bathing
water.
United Utilities upgraded the large sewage discharges at Liverpool, Bromborough and
Birkenhead to the lower Mersey Estuary by 2000 to provide improved treatment. In addition
a discharge from Wallasey was diverted to Birkenhead Sewage Treatment Works to ensure
the sewage flows received adequate treatment.
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 contributed to the Mersey Basin Campaign a 25-year government-backed
community response to the need to improve environmental quality in the Mersey catchment
area. Past and future improvements will help protect the bathing water quality at
Moreton.
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 Moreton.
The findings of the study have been 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.
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 37% 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 6% of visits. There have been reports of algal blooms
at this bathing water, but these have not been confirmed.
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 Moreton bathing water is located on the northern end of the Wirral Peninsula.
To the south west is the Dee Estuary, and to the north east is the Mersey Estuary.
Both the River Dee and River Mersey drain large inland catchments. The Mersey catchment
in particular is heavily built up around Liverpool and Manchester. The Mersey Estuary
is understood to have limited impact on the Moreton 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 seeks
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 Moreton 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 not assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable,
but was observed as being present on 36% of visits. Tarry residue was not assessed
as being sufficient to be objectionable, but was observed as being present on 3% of
visits.
The beach is roughly two kilometres from Moreton town. The land between the beach
and Moreton has mixed agricultural areas, industrial areas and a nature reserve. Most
streams and drains in this area flow eastwards into the River Mersey Estuary.
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.
