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bathing water description |
The Bay is wide and sweeping, measuring some 9 kilometres in length, from Mumbles
Head in the west, to the River Tawe in the east. The beach faces south east towards
the Bristol Channel and is backed by the urban area of Swansea. The beach slopes gently
and comprises of sand, pebble and mud flats. At low tide the waters are shallow and
a long distance from the shore front. The water quality sample point is located at
the east of the Bay, opposite the Guildhall.
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county name |
Swansea |
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eso outfalls statement |
Swansea Bay is potentially impacted by numerous storm, emergency and surface water
outfalls, both along the foreshore and within the main freshwater streams, particularly
during heavy rainfall.
In the catchment of Swansea Bay, there are numerous storm, emergency and surface water
outfalls, that discharge into the Tawe River. These protect domestic properties in
Swansea and Mumbles from being flooded by sewage during periods of heavy rainfall.
However, sewer overflows operating during and following periods of heavy rain can
result in a deterioration in the quality of the water in the River Tawe and at Swansea
Bay bathing waters.
In recent years, telemetry equipment has been installed in most of the overflows by
the water company. This technology has allowed Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water to respond to
warnings of blockages in the sewerage system and has reduced the number of actual
and potential overflows.
DCWW are currently developing a solution to decrease the number of spills to the designated
bathing water from the sewerage network. Key assets have been identified and the solution
is likely to focus on surface water reduction and network alterations. The cost of
these solutions is likely to be significant and will be met through the AMP programme.
It is hoped that work will be completed by the end of 2016.
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history statement |
In 1999, the Swansea sewer system was significantly upgraded and a new wastewater
treatment system was installed at Fabian Way. This resulted in a vast improvement
to the water quality in Swansea Bay.
Since then, Natural Resources Wales has worked with Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water to make
further improvements to the sewerage system and Swansea Wastewater Treatment Works.
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investigations statement |
Natural Resources Wales works to establish sources of pollution around Swansea Bay.
Some of this work is carried out in partnership with the City and County of Swansea
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 carried out pre-season (before the 1st
of May) and mid-season (during the bathing water season).
Natural Resources Wales, Aberystwyth University and City and County of Swansea are
working together on the Smart Coasts project funded by Interreg to the tune of 2 million
euro. The project has started a bacterial source apportionment study into the sources
of bacteria in the Swansea Bay area. One of the aims of the project is to determine
the cause of reduced water quality in Swansea Bay.
In 2011 and 2012, blackbox modelling data acquisition, source apportionment data acquisition
and offshore studies were carried out. The data is still being analysed but preliminary
results have been presented to the partners by the project. These results have already
been used to target our pollution prevention investment for 2013.
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local authority statement |
Natural Resources Wales and the City and County of Swansea have been working together
to improve the bathing water quality in Swansea Bay for a number of years. In 2010,
Natural Resources Wales and the City and County of Swansea entered into a collaborative
agreement to progress with this work by carrying out a misconnection survey in the
Swansea Bay Area over 2010/11. This work, notably in the river Clyne and Cwm stream
catchments, has continued into 2012/13.
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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 |
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. These algal blooms can occur
at any beach during the bathing season and are usually noticeable by a surface scum.
This beach has a history of such blooms.
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source |
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stw outfalls statement |
Swansea Wastewater Treatment Works discharges offshore to the east of Swansea Bay.
Disinfection through ultra violet treatment of the effluent protects the quality of
the bathing waters.
Afan Wastewater Treatment Works also discharges offshore, further east towards Aberafan.
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version string |
1 |
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zoi description |
The natural drainage (hydrological) catchment surrounding the bathing water is highly
urbanised, with a busy retail and light industrial sector located along the lower
reaches of the River Tawe. The upper reaches of the catchment are predominantly agricultural.
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bathing water |
ukl1800-36900 |
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local authority |
Abertawe - Swansea |
![more like this](/lda-assets/images/grey/16x16/Search.png) |
standard language collection |
2014-36900:1
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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.
At Swansea a unique model has been developed by the Smart Coasts Sustainable Communities
Project that predicts water quality at the designated bathing water. The model is
run during the Bathing Water season and the prediction is used to let people know
if the water quality is good or poor.
This information is provided by way of a sign on the slipway to the beach, on the
City and County of Swansea’s website and via twitter. The prediction is updated 3
times a day during the week and twice on the weekend. Last year the sign said good
52% and poor 48% of the time. There are 139 days in the bathing water season. On
37 of those days the sign stayed good all day. On 46 days the sign had to be changed
to poor once and on 25 days it had to be changed to poor twice. On 31 days the sign
stayed poor all day.
Daylight improves water quality so, generally, water quality improves as the day goes
on.
For Swansea Bay’s bathing water predictions go to http://www.swansea.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=29433
or follow @SwanseaBayWater on Twitter.
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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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