Call to "Reset" Scarborough South Bay Water Quality Rating

Scarborough clean water campaign group - The Sons of Neptune - have written to the Environment Agency calling on them to reset the South Bay's poor water quality rating.

The ratings use a four year rolling average which the group say will mean South Bay getting a poor rating for the 2025 season, despite getting a good set of water quality results over the summer.

Freddie Drabble is from the group he says they asking the Environment Agency to "Reset" the town's rating.

Freddie says the results from this summer's sampling have been some of the best results the town has seen for many years.

The Sons of Neptune say the improvements follow investment in the area by Yorkshire Water and McCain Foods and collaborative working between Sons of Neptune and Yorkshire Bathing Water Partnership.

Yorkshire Water has completed a £12m project to reduce discharges from a storm overflow into the North Sea at Wheatcroft. Scarborough ahead of schedule. Further investment is taking place at the Whitby Road Bridge storm overflow near Scalby Back.

McCain Foods has also invested heavily in its factory at Cayton, constructing an "industry leading" wastewater treatment facility. The company has invested £23m in the facility, elevating it to one of the most sophisticated in the UK, to reduce organic material, including starch, in the wastewater by over 97% and filter out bacteria.

Freddie adds:

"Great progress is being made at Scarborough's South Bay and it's the fruit of years Of collaboration and pooling of research carried out by ourselves, the Environment Agency. Yorkshire Water and North Yorkshire Council. which called a bathing water summit for the key As a result. the combination of local knowledge and industry expertise has established the facts and targeted investment, which is starting to deliver results,

"The investment made by Yorkshire Water and McCain Food recently has improved the quality of the water at the South Bay, according to this  years sample results.

"We have now written to the Environment Agency to call for a reset of the classification as the currently four-year rolling average on which the classification is decided means the beach would likely remain Poor in 2025 and possibly beyond, until the improvements are truly recognised in the average data.

"Surely it is unfair that the South Bay will continue to have a “Poor" rating next year with all the negative publicity and impact on tourism it will bring, when significant investment and progress has been made.

"There is, of course. a lot more to do in Scarborough. but by continuing to work together and pool research we hope further improvements will delivered"

The EU Bathing Water Directive classifies water quality into four categories based on the levels of faecal bacteria detected:

• Excellent: The highest standard, indicating very low levels of faecal bacteria.
• Good: Slightly higher levels of faecal bacteria but still safe for bathing.
• Sufficient: Acceptable levels of faecal bacteria, meeting the minimum quality standards.
• Poor: High levels of faecal bacteria, posing health risks for swimmers.

• Excellent Quality:
  • Intestinal Enterococci: ≤ 100 cfu/100ml
  • Escherichia coli: ≤ 250 cfu/100ml
• Good Quality:
  • Intestinal Enterococci: ≤ 200 cfu/100ml
  • Escherichia coli: ≤ 500 cfu/100ml
• Sufficient Quality:
  • Intestinal Enterococci: ≤ 185 cfu/100ml
  • Escherichia coli: ≤ 500 cfu/100ml

The raw data for the 2024 samples in Scarborough's South Bay show most samples meeting the excellent quality standards with only one failing to meet the sufficient standard.

Freddie Drabble says the Sons of Neptune are hoping the Environment Agency will be able to intervene to ensure the resort doesnt get a poor bathing water quality rating for the 2025 season.

"we're now asking the environment agency whether they  are able to seek some sort of waiver from the, EU of the regulations of this averaging situation for a case like Scarborough, who have invested, millions and millions in sorting this and I'm just hoping that they are in a position to help the town"

The full bathing water quality data for the South Bay can be found at https://environment.data.gov.uk/bwq/profiles/profile.html?site=uke2206-07400