2024 Bathing Water Profile for Dovercourt
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Dovercourt is a quiet family resort with a shelving sand and shingle beach. It is backed by a promenade and sea wall. The promenade extends to Harwich Town. From the beach there are panoramic views of the approaches to the ports of Felixstowe and Harwich, Walton, and Hamford Water National Nature Reserve.
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Tendring District
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Essex
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The Environment Agency has worked closely with the water companies, local authorities and others to investigate any sources of contamination and to improve water quality. This has included investigations into reduced water quality and the identification of sewerage infrastructure improvements.
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There are now no storm or emergency discharges directly to the bathing water. There are a number of surface water outfalls onto the beach which discharge road drainage from the town. Low Road pumping station has an emergency discharge to the Borrow Dyke but this is unlikely to affect bathing water quality. 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/
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Anglian Water, has worked with the Environment Agency over a long period to help make improvements to their sewerage infrastructure in and around Harwich and Dovercourt. This has contributed towards significant improvements in bathing water quality. A new sewage treatment works was built at Harwich in 1997 to protect bathing water quality. Improvements have been carried out to storm, emergency and surface water outfalls in the area. Low Road pumping station storm overflow which discharged to Harwich beach. was also improved in 1998. Harwich Guard sewage outfall was diverted to the new sewage works in 1997.
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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 85% of visits. This bathing water does not have a history of large amounts of seaweed (macro algae). However groynes and rocks, platforms or other fixed objects may develop a covering of seaweed which can be slippery.
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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 noted at this site. 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.
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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 Dovercourt
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2024-09-30
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2024-05-01
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This bathing water is situated close to the Stour and Orwell estuary. This does not affect bathing water compliance.
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A new sewage treatment plant, which discharges to the Stour Estuary at Parkeston, was built at Harwich in 1997. This sewage treatment works does not affect bathing water compliance.
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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 Dovercourt for the four year (2020-2023) assessment period where data is available, sewage debris was not noted at this site. Litter was not assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable, but was observed as being present on 25% of visits. Tarry residue was not noted at this site.
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Dovercourt is within the Stour and Colne Catchment Sensitive Farming area. This is a partnership between Natural England and the Environment Agency. Its aim is to work with farmers to enhance farming practices and reduce run off from farmlands.
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4 km to the south is Hamford Water which is a National Nature Reserve which is popular for pleasure craft. This has very little local freshwater and has little impact upon the beach. The Orwell and Stour estuary is 1km to the north and this drains a large catchment with some industry but due to tidal currents this has minimal impact upon the beach. There are also urban areas close to the beach.
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Dovercourt
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Dovercourt
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Sampling point at Dovercourt
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625170
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51.928717049764344
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1.273696364647091
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230640
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Sampling point at Dovercourt
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p152 dT23 h59 m59 s
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2024 05 01 t00:00:00
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2024-05-01T00:00:00
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2024 09 30 t23:59:59
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2024-09-30T23:59:59
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2024 11100:1
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Discharges from sewage treatment works have improved substantially in England since the 1980s.
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