Bathing water quality test location criteria
Dear Environment Agency,
I have tried but cannot find reference to the criteria for determining the location at which a bathing water quality sample is taken.
I ask with specific regards to the Exmouth beach bathing water quality sample location which is less than 250m from the Maer Rocks / Maer Road pumping station CSO outfall pipe end.
Please provide the criteria which determined the sample location specifically for the Exmouth beach and how this sample location may change once SWW correctly identify the specific overflow outfall pipe end which they are currently investigating.
Yours faithfully,
Geoff Crawford
Dear Geoff Crawford,
This is to acknowledge your email dated 16/11/2023, requesting information
regarding bathing water quality test location criteria specifically with
regard to Exmouth beach.
The Freedom of Information Act and Environmental Information Regulations
state that a public authority must respond to requests for information
within 20 working days. We always aim to provide an answer as soon as we
can.
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Thank you,
Beka
Beka Noble
Customers and Engagement Officer
Environment Agency | Manley House, Kestrel Way, Exeter, EX2 7LQ
Devon, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly enquiries team:
Email : [2][email address]
Please accept my thanks for your email in advance - each UK adult sending
one less ‘thank you’ email a day would save more than 16,400 tonnes of
carbon a year.
From: Geoff Crawford <[3][FOI #1048918 email]>
Sent: 16 November 2023 23:25
To: National Requests <[4][Environment Agency request email]>
Subject: 430 Freedom of Information request - Bathing water quality test
location criteria
Dear Environment Agency,
I have tried but cannot find reference to the criteria for determining the
location at which a bathing water quality sample is taken.
I ask with specific regards to the Exmouth beach bathing water quality
sample location which is less than 250m from the Maer Rocks / Maer Road
pumping station CSO outfall pipe end.
Please provide the criteria which determined the sample location
specifically for the Exmouth beach and how this sample location may change
once SWW correctly identify the specific overflow outfall pipe end which
they are currently investigating.
Yours faithfully,
Geoff Crawford
-------------------------------------------------------------------
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Dear Geoff Crawford,
Thank you for your email dated 16/11/2023, requesting information
regarding bathing water quality test location criteria specifically with
regard to Exmouth beach.
Samples at all designated bathing waters are taken according to the same
protocol. Each bathing water has a preset sampling transect which has been
determined to pass through where the highest density of bathers are likely
to occur. This transect is an imaginary line from mean high water to mean
low water at right angles to the shoreline and samples may be taken
anywhere along its length depending on the state of the tide. These
transects are subject to periodic review but most have remained constant
for many years. On lifeguarded beaches they are typically located within
the lifeguarded bathing area.
Provided it is safe to do so, samples are taken along the transect at the
point where the water is approximately 1 metre deep, and are taken at a
depth of 30cm below the surface. Of course this is very difficult to judge
on surf beaches or when the sea is rough. If samplers cannot reasonably
achieve these requirements, the sample may be abandoned and attempted at a
different time.
The Environment Agency based the bathing water monitoring point at Exmouth
on where the majority of bathers are. This was reviewed recently with East
Devon Council. The movement of the South West Water pipe would not change
the bathing water monitoring point.
We respond to requests for information that we hold under the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 and Environmental Information Regulations 2004.
Please refer to the Open Government Licence:
[1]http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/o...
which explains the permitted use of this information.
Please get in touch if you have any further queries or contact us within
two months if you would like us to review the information we have sent.
Thank you,
Beka
Beka Noble
Customers and Engagement Officer
Environment Agency | Manley House, Kestrel Way, Exeter, EX2 7LQ
Devon, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly enquiries team:
Email : [2][email address]
Please accept my thanks for your email in advance - each UK adult sending
one less ‘thank you’ email a day would save more than 16,400 tonnes of
carbon a year.
From: Geoff Crawford <[3][FOI #1048918 email]>
Sent: 16 November 2023 23:25
To: National Requests <[4][Environment Agency request email]>
Subject: 430 Freedom of Information request - Bathing water quality test
location criteria
Dear Environment Agency,
I have tried but cannot find reference to the criteria for determining the
location at which a bathing water quality sample is taken.
I ask with specific regards to the Exmouth beach bathing water quality
sample location which is less than 250m from the Maer Rocks / Maer Road
pumping station CSO outfall pipe end.
Please provide the criteria which determined the sample location
specifically for the Exmouth beach and how this sample location may change
once SWW correctly identify the specific overflow outfall pipe end which
they are currently investigating.
Yours faithfully,
Geoff Crawford
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[5][FOI #1048918 email]
Is [6][Environment Agency request email] the wrong address for
Freedom of Information requests to Environment Agency? If so, please
contact us using this form:
[7]https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlo...
Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[8]https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlo...
For more detailed guidance on safely disclosing information, read the
latest advice from the ICO:
[9]https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlo...
[10]https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlo...
Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will
be delayed.
If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.
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