2024 Bathing Water Profile for Wherry Town
-
Mounts Bay is on the south coast of Cornwall. There are four designated bathing waters located around the bay - Wherry Town, Penzance, Long Rock and Marazion. All the beaches are sandy resorts backed by sea defences. Wherry Town beach is approximately one kilometre wide. The Newlyn River flows onto the beach at the western end of Wherry Town and the Larrigan River flows onto the eastern end of the beach.
-
Cornwall
-
Cornwall
-
The Environment Agency have carried out extensive additional catchment monitoring throughout the Penzance/Marazion area of Mounts Bay 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 with surveys carried out in wet and dry weather conditions. The aim was to pinpoint pollution problems in the freshwater streams flowing into Mounts Bay and the local sewerage infrastructure so that the Environment Agency can improve water quality at the bathing waters. While results showed pollution at Wherrytown bathing water to be predominantly dominated by animal sources the pollution in the Newlyn River can alternate between animal and human sources.
-
There is a disused outfall from the Newlyn Art Galley.
-
In the past there were a number of private discharges and combined sewer overflows (CSO) that affected this bathing water, as well as the general contamination of Penzance Bay from numerous sources. The sewage treatment scheme for Penzance and St Ives was completed by South West Water in early 1995. The scheme included extensive sewerage, improvements to intermittent discharges and the removal of untreated sewage discharges. Wastewater from St Ives is pumped to Hayle sewage treatment works (STW), where it receives secondary treatment before its discharge through a 2.7km long sea outfall west of Godrevy Head. The Hayle STW was enlarged and upgraded in 1995 and again in 2000. In 1998, further improvements were also made to CSOs at Long Rock, and Marazion pumping station CSO was sealed in November 2001.
-
The urban area of Penzance immediately behind the beach is served by a combined (surface and sewer) system. There are no outfalls from the system onto the beach.
-
For the four year (2020-2023) assessment period where data is available, seaweed (macroalgae) was assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable for 32% of visits, with 58% of visits noting the presence of seaweed (macroalgae). This bathing water beach often has patches of seaweed (macroalgae).
-
Wrongly connected domestic waste water pipes can also affect the bathing water quality. 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 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.
-
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, 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 4 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.
-
2024 Bathing Water Profile for Wherry Town
-
2024-09-30
-
2024-05-01
-
Streams and rivers are typically affected by human sewage, animal slurry and runoff from roads. The Lariggan and the Newlyn rivers flow into the sea on either side of this beach. The Environment Agency have monitored these rivers between 1986 and 2010, and found that water quality is temporarily worse during and after heavy rainfall.
-
Sewage from the Penzance area is pumped to Hayle STW for treatment, and discharges to the sea off the North Cornwall coast. This discharge is designed to protect 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 Wherry Town 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 49% of visits. Tarry residue was not noted at this site.
-
The catchment surrounding Wherry Town is approximately 3,350 hectares. The Lariggan River is approximately six kilometres long and flows through mining country before entering the bay at Wherry Town. The Newlyn Coombe River also originates in mining country and follows an 11km route to enter the bay at Newlyn approximately 600 metres (m) southwest of Wherry Town beach. These two streams have a combined length of approximately 30km and rise from the high ground of the Penwith peninsula sloping steeply in the headwaters and then more gently towards the coast. Land use is a mixture of rural and urban. The rural areas are mostly improved and unimproved grasslands and heath, the urban areas are concentrated at the coast and includes most of Penzance and Newlyn. The catchment lies within part of the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
-
Wherry Town
-
Wherry Town
-
Sampling point at Wherry Town
-
146643
-
50.10891717077118
-
-5.544900667001265
-
29224
-
Sampling point at Wherry Town
-
-
-
p152 dT23 h59 m59 s
-
2024 05 01 t00:00:00
-
2024-05-01T00:00:00
-
-
2024 09 30 t23:59:59
-
2024-09-30T23:59:59
-
-
-
2024 30500:1
-
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.
-
Discharges from sewage treatment works have improved substantially in England since the 1980s.
-
