2024 Bathing Water Profile for Summerleaze
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Summerleaze is on the north coast of Cornwall. It is a sandy beach resort, approximately 440 metres wide, backed with sand dunes. The River Neet flows across the beach to the sea. At low tide Summerleaze is connected to Crooklets Beach to the north, and rock pools are exposed.
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Cornwall
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Cornwall
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The Environment Agency have carried out extensive additional catchment monitoring alongside the Environment Agency routine bathing water monitoring. The Environment Agency used a DNA tracing technique to help identify whether sources of faecal pollution are animal or human. Surveys were carried out in wet and dry weather conditions and have shown that Summerleaze can be affected by agricultural runoff in the upper Strat and Neet catchments after heavy rainfall. In addition, there are a number of sewerage issues in Bude which contribute to bacterial contamination of the River Strat and the bathing water.
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Within the Summerleaze bathing water catchment there are four emergency/storm overflows that discharge into the River Strat upstream of the bathing water. The operation of the overflows can lead to a temporary drop in water quality in the River Strat and at Summerleaze bathing water. 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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In the past sewage at Bude was discharged without treatment through a short outfall off Compass Point. The South West Water sewage treatment scheme for Bude, which provides primary treatment and a one kilometre long sea outfall, was completed in 1993. The Bude sewage treatment works (STW) was upgraded with secondary treatment by the end of 2000. Improvements to the combined storm overflow (CSO) at Stratton pumping station were also completed at that time. In recent years the Environment Agency has worked extensively with South West Water to identify and rectify issues with bacterial contamination of the River Strat from degraded sewers in Bude. Storm overflow event duration monitoring (EDM) was installed at Crooklets Car Park by December 2011 and a sewage leak to Flex Brook was fixed. Storm overflow event duration monitoring (EDM) was installed at The Strand, Nanny Moores, Summerleaze Car Park, and at the Stratton and Castle pumping stations by April 2011. EDM was installed at the Barn Orchard Cottages pumping station in March 2016. EDM is to be installed at Broadclose Farm CSO by September 2021. Improvements to 7 emergency/storm overflows within the Summerleaze and nearby Crooklets bathing water catchments are due for completion by September 2022.
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The urban area of Bude immediately behind the beach is served by a combined (surface and sewer) system. There are no outfalls from the system onto the beach. The Environment Agency have regularly inspected and sampled surface water outfalls.
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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 72% of visits. This bathing water does not have a history of large amounts of seaweed (macro algae).
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Wrongly connected domestic waste water pipes can also affect the bathing water quality. We have checked the local sewerage system for misconnections. An in depth investigation of the sewerage network close to the sea front using CCTV confirmed showed misconnections are not a problem. 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 increase in number at certain times of the year and this process is known as a phytoplankton bloom. These blooms can discolour the water or form as a foam on the water. Phytoplankton blooms were evident at this bathing water at times during 2009. 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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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 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 13 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.
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2024 Bathing Water Profile for Summerleaze
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2024-09-30
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2024-05-01
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Streams and rivers are typically affected by human sewage, animal slurry and runoff from roads. The River Strat enters the sea at this beach. The Environment Agency have monitored the river between 1986 and 2012, and found that water quality is temporarily worse during and after heavy rainfall.
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The outfall from Bude STW discharges into the sea off Compass Point approximately one and a half kilometres west of Summerleaze bathing water. This discharge is designed to protect bathing water quality.
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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 Summerleaze for the four year (2020-2023) assessment period where data is available, sewage debris was not noted at this site. Litter was assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable for 2% of visits, with 37% of visits noting the presence of litter. Tarry residue was not noted at this site.
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There are farms in the catchment, most of which are dairy, beef, and arable. During and after periods of heavy rainfall, runoff to the rivers Neet and Strat from agricultural land is greatly increased, and the quality of the bathing water can be reduced. Environment Agency officers and Natural England Catchment Sensitive Farming officers have worked extensively with farmers in the catchment to reduce this impact.
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There are caravan parks and hotels that are not on the main sewerage system and have private sewage treatment arrangements. If any concerns arise, the Environment Agency will investigate and request immediate remedial action from those responsible. The Environment Agency have worked with the local community, businesses and community groups on a number of initiatives in Bude to reduce bacterial contamination of the River Strat and the bathing water. This has included ‘yellow fish’ campaigns to reduce contamination of surface water drains, offering free misconnections surveys to businesses and residents, and public and school events to raise awareness of pollution issues.
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The catchment surrounding Summerleaze is approximately 8,870 hectares. It includes the rivers Neet and Strat which enter the sea at Summerleaze Beach. The River Neet is approximately 17 kilometres (km) long and is a tributary of the River Strat which is approximately 20km long. The two rivers meet below the village of Marhamchurch to the South of Bude. They enter the Bude Canal before rejoining the original channel over a wear upstream of the beach. The steep catchment means rain runs off rapidly into the rivers. The Flex Brook and tributaries start approximately two and a half kilometres inland and enter the sea approximately 500m to the north at Crooklets Beach. The catchment is dominated by intensive agricultural production. The upper reaches of the Strat are mainly farmed by beef and sheep enterprises, and elsewhere all types of farming activities are carried out including dairy and arable. River bank damage by livestock is evident leading to concerns over water quality.
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Summerleaze
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Summerleaze
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Sampling point at Summerleaze
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220380
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50.831168031253235
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-4.552050639196887
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106620
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Sampling point at Summerleaze
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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 33500:1
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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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