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bathing water description |
The long sandy beach is situated below a rocky outcrop on the north bank of the Mawddach
Estuary, with the seaside village of Fairbourne situated on the opposite south bank.
The bathing water lies within the Lleyn Peninsula and the Sarnau Special Area of Conservation.
To the south of the beach is the Mawddach Estuary Site of Special Scientific Interest,
whilst the hillside behind the beach is designated as the Barmouth Hillside Site of
Special Scientific Interest. The water quality sample point is located opposite the
North Avenue by the Marwyn Hotel.
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county name |
Gwynedd |
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eso outfalls statement |
There is one storm outfall onto the beach, one pumping station emergency outfall at
the harbour and a surface water outfall. Movements of the sand banks can cause blockages,
resulting in the surface water outfall surcharging at the head of the beach.
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history statement |
Natural Resources Wales has developed a good working relationship with Dŵr Cymru Welsh
Water and liaises regularly to identify problems that could affect bathing water quality.
Natural Resources Wales and Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water have been investigating contaminated
surface water drains and have undertaken a sewage system survey to locate misconnections.
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investigations statement |
Natural Resources Wales works to establish sources of pollution around Barmouth. Some
of this work is carried out in partnership with Gwynedd County Council and Dŵr Cymru
Welsh Water. Inspections are carried out by Natural Resources Wales in partnership
with the local authority and the water company. These are normally carried out pre-season
(before the 1st of May) and mid season if required (during the bathing water season).
An investigation into the contamination of a surface water drain discharging at the
head of the beach was carried out in 2009. This was traced back to a misconnection
to the surface water drainage system. Corrections have since been carried out.
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local authority statement |
Natural Resources Wales and Gwynedd Council have been working together to improve
the bathing water quality at Barmouth for a number of years. This includes tracing
the sources of pollution from household toilet and utility misconnections to the private
and public surface water system that is discharging ultimately into coastal waters.
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macro algae statement |
This bathing water does not have a history of large amounts of seaweed (macroalgae). |
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misconnections statement |
Barmouth has historically had a combined sewer system. As a result, when systems have
been separated and connected to foul and surface water, misconnections have been made.
Wrongly connected waste water pipes can affect the water quality of rivers and the
sea. Work is being carried out by Natural Resources Wales and Gwynedd Council to correct
misconnections at Barmouth.
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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phytoplankton statement |
Phytoplankton (microscopic algae) naturally increase in number at certain times of
the year. This process is known as a phytoplankton bloom.
Algal Blooms can occur at any beach during the bathing season and are usually noticeable
by a surface scum. This beach has no history of such blooms.
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source |
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stw outfalls statement |
The Sewage Treatment Plant at Barmouth has been upgraded with a membrane bio-reactor
treatment plant, which better protects the quality of the bathing water.
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version string |
1 |
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zoi description |
The natural drainage (hydrological) catchment is generally rural, apart from the small
coastal town of Barmouth. The beach is backed by steep hills on the north bank of
the Mawddach Estuary. There are several camp sites within the Mawddach catchment,
with numerous large caravan sites to the south, between Llwyngwril and Fairbourne,
and to the north between Barmouth and Dyffryn Ardudwy. Water quality can potentially
be influenced by agriculture within the Mawddach catchment and sheep grazing on the
salt marshes in the Mawddach Estuary.
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bathing water |
ukl1200-39300 |
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local authority |
Gwynedd - Gwynedd |
![more like this](/lda-assets/images/grey/16x16/Search.png) |
standard language collection |
2014-39300:1
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algae general statement |
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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eso outfalls general statement |
The majority of sewers in England and Wales 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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local authority general statement |
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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pollution management general statement |
It is the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales role to drive improvement
of water quality at bathing waters that are at risk of failing European 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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stw outfalls general statement |
Discharges from sewage treatment works have improved substantially in England and
Wales since the 1980s.
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web res image |
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