This is a large, relatively sheltered sandy beach, on the south east facing side of the Lleyn Peninsula. The bathing water lies in the Lleyn Peninsula and the Sarnau Special Area of Conservation. To the north of the beach, the lower reaches of the Soch are designated as the Pen Benar Site of Special Scientific Interest, and inland to the west an area of land is designated as the Cors Llyferin Site of Special Scientific Interest. The water quality sample point is located in line with the slipway.
Investigations will be undertaken where and when necessary e.g. where there are elevated bacterial results in the bathing water that cannot be simply explained due to weather conditions.
There is one storm / emergency outfall, located at the boatyard in the Soch Estuary where the Nant Mynytho enters the harbour.
A project known as Event Duration Monitoring (EDM) was undertaken to install telemetry on Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) within 2km of a bathing water by 2020 so that Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water (DCWW) know when the CSOs are operating and can work to reduce spills. One CSO near Abersoch was included in the project.
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 Gwynedd Council have worked together to improve the bathing water quality at Abersoch over a number of years. This included working to trace the sources of pollution from household toilet and utility misconnections to the private and public surface water system that discharges into Abersoch.
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. There are no known misconnections in the Abersoch area.
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.
Streams are typically affected by sewage or industrial run off from further up the catchment. The main river in the catchment is the Soch. This drains an extensive catchment, covering much of the south Lleyn. It has many tributaries, which have a large number of agricultural premises and caravan parks. This makes the river a potential source of reduced water quality after heavy rainfall. The Soch enters the sea on the north side of the east facing beach, in the harbour. There are also a number of smaller land drains and streams along the designated bathing water beach.
Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water has five sewage treatment works which discharge into the river catchment. There have been no recent reports of actual sewage pollution at Abersoch.
The main Abersoch Sarn Bach Sewage Treatment Works (STW) was rewired before the 2013 bathing water season in order to upgrade the ultra violet (UV) disinfection plant's performance and to eliminate power outages. New sludge removal pumps and a new generator were also installed. Sewage effluent is treated and then receives ultra violet disinfection prior to discharge, to protect bathing water quality.
Natural Resources Wales samplers make visual observations of the beach at every visit. This includes assessments of sewage debris, animal faeces, litter and oil or tar. At Abersoch, data are available for the four year assessment period from 2020-2023. Sewage debris was not observed at this bathing water. Animal faeces was not noted at this site. Trace amounts of litter were observed at the bathing water on between forty and fifty per cent of occasions. Oil and tarry residues were not noted at this site.
Natural Resources Wales continues to work with private owners regarding potential pollution sources to the bathing water. This work involves where necessary, advisory mail drops, dye tracing, misconnection surveys and face to face meetings. Farms and caravan parks are visited regularly for pollution prevention checks.
Poorly maintained private sewage treatment facilities could be a source of pollution, therefore the registration of all private sewage systems in Wales was required by 30 June 2012. The primary aim of this exercise was to provide increased protection for the environment and sensitive features such as bathing water beaches. Where properties were identified in the catchment that were not on mains sewerage, Natural Resources Wales endeavoured to ensure registration was made.
The natural drainage (hydrological) catchment area surrounding the bathing water is largely rural. There are many agricultural premises within the catchment, with most draining into tributaries of the River Soch.
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 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.
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 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. The following sections serve to highlight potential sources of pollution, conditions under which they may arise and measures being put in place to improve water quality.
