Coastguards beach is at the mouth of the Erme Estuary on the south coast of Devon.
It is a remote sandy bay, approximately 650 metres wide, backed by sand dunes and
cliffs. It can be accessed from a footpath.
There are a number of permitted storm overflows that discharge into the River Erme
and Estuary. In the 1km section upstream of the designated bathing water, there are
no Combined Sewer Overflows or Sewage Pumping Station.
There are no water company assets directly affecting Coastguard Beach bathing water,
however there are many sewage treatment works and Combined Sewer Outfalls that discharge
into the River Erme which then may impact the bathing water.
South West Water has made significant sewage improvements in the Erme Estuary over
several rounds of investment.
Several Sewage Treatment Works in the estuary have undergone improvement schemes to
provide secondary treatment and ultraviolet (UV) disinfection.
Many storm overflows across the Erme Estuary have been upgraded to enhance environmental
protection.
Storm overflow event duration monitoring (EDM) has been installed at all storm overflows
across the South West Water Network, and all data is publicly available.
The Environment Agency works with the water companies, local authorities and others
to investigate any sources of contamination and to improve water quality at local
bathing waters. The Environment Agency continues to work with and support local environmental
groups with citizen science sampling projects on the Erme and its tributaries.
The urban areas of Ivybridge, Modbury, Ermington are served by combined (surface and
sewer) systems. There are no outfalls from the systems onto the beach. Improvements
are being investigated at Modbury and Ivybridge sewer systems to limit storm discharges
after heavy rainfall.
This bathing water has some history of large amounts of seaweed (macro algae) and
can become covered with large amounts of seaweed at certain times of the year, depending
on tides and the weather. Groynes and rocks, platforms or other fixed objects may
also develop a covering of seaweed which can be slippery.
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.
Wrongly connected domestic waste water pipes can also affect the bathing water quality.
We have checked the local sewerage system for misconnections. We are working with
South Hams District Council and South West Water to identify and rectify any problems
when they arise.
Phytoplankton (microscopic algae) naturally increase in number at certain times of
the year. This process is known as a phytoplankton bloom. These blooms can discolour
the water or form as a foam on the water. 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.
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.
Streams and rivers are typically affected by human sewage, animal slurry and runoff
from roads. This bathing water is next to the estuary of the River Erme, and the natural
effects of the wind and tide in the estuary can affect the bathing water quality.
We have monitored the River Erme at Sequers Bridge since 1987, and at the mouth at
Owen's Point since 1994. The river may affect water quality after heavy rainfall.
Holbeton Sewage Treatment Works (STW) final effluent outfall is located over 2.5 km
away. It discharges into the River Erme, upstream of the designated bathing water
site. The treatment includes secondary treatment and ultraviolet (UV) disinfection.
Environment Agency samplers make observations of litter present on the beach at every
visit, this includes assessments of sewage debris, litter and tar.
Part of the Environment Agency's role is to work with farmers to reduce the effects
of farming on water quality. The Environment Agency provide advice to farmers on how
to comply with regulations and good practice on farms to ensure that pollution entering
watercourses is minimised.
The catchment area of the Coastguards beach bathing water is mainly agricultural,
with large areas of land used for livestock, including dairy and beef farming. After
heavy rainfall, there is increased runoff from these agricultural areas into the River
Erme, which can reduce the quality of the bathing water. The Environment Agency is
collaborating with Natural England and farmers on Catchment Sensitive Farming programs
to promote better farming practices and enhance water quality in the surrounding areas.
A farm campaign conducted from 2011 to 2013 helped to identify pollution issues, leading
to the fencing off of extensive stretches of watercourses to restrict livestock access.
This bathing water designation was submitted by the Wild About The Erme River (WATER)
group. The group is a catchment focused action group working to restore the Erme River
to its natural state, in order to safeguard all river users from the harmful effects
of pollution and to protect and improve the biodiversity of the Erme’s catchment area
and the estuary beyond.
The Environment Agency will be working with the group and others in the catchment
to ensure source of pollution are managed and rectified where possible.
There are a number of private sewage treatment plants and septic tanks within the
catchment and the Environment Agency continues to work with the owners to ensure that
these are adequately maintained and do not impact on the water quality of the streams
they discharge to.
The catchment surrounding Coastguards beach is approximately 10,500 hectares. The
River Erme rises on south Dartmoor and flows for 25 kilometres through Ivybridge and
Ermington, before reaching the estuary mouth at Wonwell and Mothecombe. The Erme Estuary
is tidal as far as the weir at Flete, and like the other estuaries of South Devon,
the original deep river valley has been flooded by sea level rise, to create a wide
expanse of water. The catchment is mostly agricultural, with more than 50 farms.
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.