The construction phase of this project is now complete.

There may still be updates, so the project will remain here. We are still monitoring the project and will reply to any comments. So if you have any questions please feel free to comment or contact us here.

GENERAL PROJECT

WINEP (Cullercoats Bay Bathing Water Study)

The Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP), formerly known as the National Environment Programme (NEP), is a national investment programme for all water only and water and wastewater companies. It includes investigations, monitoring, options appraisals and schemes to drive improvements and prevent deterioration and protect the water environment. These commitments form part of each water company’s Asset Management Plan (AMP) and form a set of regulatory obligations which must be delivered. This study will be focusing on Cullercoats Bay.

Start Date

October, 2020

Estimated End Date

April, 2022

Contractor

NW, ESH-Stantec

Further information

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Latest updates

By Graeme Ridley

14 April, 2022 at 4:20PM

Good afternoon everyone, Easter is upon us and the WINEP Cullercoats project is nearing completion. We have confirmed that no Northumbrian Water asset local to Cullercoats beach is contributing to the deterioration of bathing water, but the effect is ground water contamination from unknown source(s). Nevertheless one source of contamination we do know about, is the effect of an old underground culvert that still has fluid within it. This was a culvert that was capped off circa 10 years that did have a small flow in it. Many people in Cullercoats might remember that a flow did get onto the beach at the cliff above the Dove Marine laboratory, which was emanating from this old underground culvert. Northumbrian Water has secured the funding in our Capital Plan and will divert the culvert flow into our sewerage network, locally to John Street this year. The geology of Cullercoats is complex and a further study is being discussed to understand pathways in the geology beneath and inland from Cullercoats beach, to see if further sources of contamination can be contributing to the bathing water quality. When we confirm funding, a specialist hydrogeologist will be employed to develop models of potential pathways within the rock strata. Tracer surveys might be required to determine pathways that could lie deep within rock strata and potentially presenting itself in the harbour sea water. The WINEP Cullercoats project that Northumbrian Water has fundamentally completed, the output was essentially to determine if any Northumbrian Water local assets were a contributing factor to bathing water. That has been all but completed but will need final sign off from the Environment Agency. Northumbrian Water will endeavour to still work with local residents, the Environment Agency and North Tyneside Council, to further investigate this ground water contamination issue. As mentioned Northumbrian Water will divert that old culvert flow this year and once established further funding employ a specialist hydrogeologist to develop potential pathway models beneath and inland within rock strata at Cullercoats. Northumbrian Water wishes to thank everyone who has helped and contributed to the investigations so far. Local knowledge from residents, recent and long established in the community, who have shared information has been invaluable. Posted in the Planned Work tab, you can download a pdf of our Cullercoats Customer Information Leaflet, which will inform you further on the status of the project. I’ll keep you posted on the culvert diversion as we get closer to starting. Have a happy and safe Easter everyone. Graeme Ridley (Northumbrian Water – Project Manager)

By Graeme Ridley

31 January, 2022 at 2:16PM

Good afternoon, Just an update for today to keep everyone informed. Our final report is being delivered to the EA for its review. You will see the key findings in my previous post, we are meeting our obligations to the WINEP Cullercoats project output. We will advise further when the report has been reviewed, as to any potential for full publication. Graeme Ridley (NWG Project Manager)

By Graeme Ridley

17 January, 2022 at 2:34PM

Good afternoon, Sorry but I'm over due for an update, but just needed to confirm with the project team the conclusions of the reports. There has been a significant amount of data from 2021 to provide an evidence based conclusion to the WINEP Cullercoats project. Essentially the investigations are now complete as part of Phase 1 and 2 of the study that have found no evidence of NWG assets being a primary cause for the deterioration in bathing water quality. The investigations have indicated that contaminated groundwater is likely to be the primary cause of the bathing water failings. Potential options have been considered, which include diverting the flow from North Tyneside Council’s, John Street culvert, into our NWG combined sewerage network. Connecting the flow from the culvert into our sewerage network may remove one source of contaminated flows entering the groundwater. However, this would not guarantee that all sources of contaminated flows entering the groundwater would be intercepted. This option is being progressed for delivery in 2022 by the project team. Out-of-season sampling of the bathing water and of a number of the locations sampled as part of the WINEP study, will be continue with the EA this winter prior to the 2022 bathing water season starting later this year. This includes continued sampling of the two boreholes that were drilled in the public footpath above the beach in August 2021. I'll keep you up dated as we move into 2022. Graeme Ridley (NWG Project Manager)

By Graeme Ridley

13 October, 2021 at 10:21AM

Good morning, An update this morning. We have been undertaking further sampling in Cullercoats, in and around the harbour to get further data for an extra one month i.e. one month after the EA Bathing Water Sampling season, which ended in September. We have also been sampling two window / boreholes that were drilled / installed in August 2021 in the footpath directly above the caves at the harbour. We have been sampling ground water from these two points since August 2021. The final day we have planned for NWG sampling is now 26th October 2021, when we will have an excellent suite of sampling data, which will be evaluated for inclusion in the WINEP Cullercoats final report. To get the information fully evaluated together with all the other investigations we have undertaken this year, completion of the final report will now be in November 2021. I'll keep you updated, as always and very much appreciate any posts on our NWG Community Portal for this project. Regards Graeme Ridley (NWG Project Manager)

By Graeme Ridley

20 July, 2021 at 4:07PM

Good afternoon, An update today just to let you know how the NWG WINEP Cullercoats project is progressing. We continue to have our quarterly meetings in collaboration with the Cullercoats Bathing Water Quality Group (NWG/EA/North Tyneside Council), the most recent meeting on the 14 July 2021. Phase 2 investigations are ongoing and the final report from Stantec, our Technical Consultants, is still planned for completion 30 September 2021. Investigations ongoing include: NWG weekly sampling, on every Tuesday, at ten locations in and around the beach. Key locations are pools at the three caves to the back of the beach, the "John Street" culvert location that can be accessed from a manhole adjacent to John Street & the Marden Quarry sea outfall at the flap valve to the north directly below to our Browns Point pumping station. Analysis of the sampling is for intestinal enterococci (IE) and E.coli (E). There has been a correlation in the results between the John Street culvert and the pool especially in front of the middle cave. But NWG sampling has corroborated very well with the statutory EA results (that is shared on their web site), with very low levels of bacteria so far this season. But this has been a trend historically in numerous previous years, which will be closely monitored in the second half of the bathing water season; Cores have been undertaken in the concrete wall at the back of the middle cave at the back of the beach and, further sampling has been attempted behind that concrete wall. There is a correlation to sampling results from this pool at the front of the middle cave to the results that we are seeing in the John Street culvert; Small scale sewer repairs have been undertaken at the rear of John Street; Further mis-connections surveys have been undertaken between the Marden Quarry sea outfall below our Browns Point pumping station, right back to Marden Quarry itself, including the surface water pipes that also link into that surface water system. In the next few weeks we plan to do three "window samples" in the cliff top footpath directly behind the beach caves. These "window samples" are essentially vertical 50-100mm diameter drill holes, which will be done similar to borehole drilling equipment techniques. The equipment is relatively small, the footpath will not need to be closed when this is being done, but there will be width restrictions to the footpath for approximately 5 days. These small holes will go down to the sandstone bedrock (5 - 6 metres) below the surface of the footpath, where we know there is ground water perched above the bedrock in this location, from viewing historic boreholes in this area (available to be seen on the British Geological Survey - BGS website). Groundwater samples we will extract from these three "window samples" for analysis of any bacteria in the ground water. The sampling will continue every Tuesday in our sampling programme till mid September. From the three "window samples" analysis for bacteria, we will then get a better understanding if there essentially a pathway that has formed from the John Street culvert, or possibly other land side culverts, that is permeating to the caves at the beach. The effect from bacteria emanating from the sea to Cullercoats beach has not yet been ruled out, but the sampling we have been undertaking to date around the beach and to the sea side rock pools behind each pier is indicating very low levels of bacteria, that again is correlating to the bacteria analysis at the EA sampling point, in the sea in between the piers at the beach. Nevertheless, from what I have previously mentioned, it will be in the second half of the bathing water season that the results from the NWG sampling (and EA bathing sampling) might reveal more definitive sampling results and conclusions we can draw on for the Stantec report in September. I'll post another update in August when we have completed the three window samples & also have some analysis results of the ground water in those locations. Then we will have further EA results also that are always posted on their web site. Graeme Ridley (NWG Project Manager)

By Graeme Ridley

24 March, 2021 at 2:44PM

Good afternoon, Just an update today with regards the planned EA bathing water season 2021 sampling starting on the 15th May, the Local Authority's responsibility on static signage and additional information to note. The Environment Agency are responsible for providing notifications to the public when it is forecast that bathing water quality might be impacted, such as from diffuse sources linked to rainfall. These notifications are provided during the official bathing water season (15th May to 30th September) as part the EA’s Pollution Risk Forecasting system and sent every morning to the electronic sign that is in place at Cullercoats. Further information can be found here: https://environment.data.gov.uk/bwq/profiles/ and also here: https://environment.data.gov.uk/bwq/profiles/data-prf.html The Local Authority are legally responsible for displaying the required information in static signage at each designated bathing water, including Cullercoats. Further details can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/bathing-water-information-and-signage-rules-for-local-councils Northumbrian Water are responsible for making sure that wastewater assets near to the bathing water are maintained and operated so as to maintain bathing water quality at designated sites. Significant investment over the past 30 years has resulted in a huge improvement in bathing water quality with over £7m being invested between 2020 and 2025 to improve seawater quality further. Since 2012, NWL also provides an all-year-round Beach Aware service of real time storm overflow alerts. This information and the EA’s PRFs are used by Surfers Against Sewage in their Safer Seas Service app. The Phase 2 WINEP Cullercoats investigations are well underway. This Thursday, 25 March 2021 we will be on the beach again having a further investigation of the caves. Please add your own updates if you would care to do so, I will respond. The more information we have will only help and, enable my Project Team and the Cullercoats Bathing Water Quality Group build up the evidence to understand the reasons for the recent deterioration of bathing water at Cullercoats. Graeme Ridley (NWG Project Manager)

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