SeaZone data assists bathing water quality studies

06 May 2009, 2:49pm

Detailed marine mapping from SeaZone is being used to understand factors affecting the quality of water off the the UK's Yorkshire Coast. In a project managed by Arup on behalf of Yorkshire Water, the study involves investigations of the impact of sewerage infrastructure on the quality of bathing water at the resorts of Scarborough and Bridlington. SeaZone’s water depth data, including detailed digital survey data together with scanned and georeferenced images of nautical charts have been used to create a coastal model to simulate bacteriological water quality in the region.

Yorkshire Water commissioned Arup, a global firm of designers, engineers, planners and business consultants, to undertake a study of bathing water quality at the north east coastal resorts of Scarborough and Bridlington. The study was designed to analyse the impact of sewerage infrastructure and understand implications for bathing water quality. Using detailed water depth data – SeaZone Digital Survey Bathymetry and SeaZone Digital Charted Bathymetry plus scanned and geocoded images of Admiralty Charts – SeaZone Charted Raster, Arup created a 2D hydrodynamic model of the study area. Other contributing factors such as tidal and meteorological inputs were also included in the resulting analysis of bathing water quality.

“The water quality assessments are helping us understand the impact of effluent so that future investment and resources can be targeted effectively,” commented Arup. “We selected data from SeaZone for use in this study as they were readily able to provide digital bathymetric information for the study.”

SeaZone Digital Survey Bathymetry offers an unprecedented solution to obtaining detailed and accurate water depth information relative to sea level and hence the height and shape of the seabed. It provides survey data that has been collected digitally, or captured from paper survey sheets, often known as "fair sheets' and quality controlled at the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office and other leading institutions. This level of detail and accuracy is absolutely critical for development and monitoring projects and for the confidence that the user has in the results.

SeaZone Charted Raster is based on scanned and geocoded images of Admiralty Charts and is available for immediate use in Geographic Information Systems, without the need for additional software, add-ons or plug-ins. SeaZone Charted Raster data provides ideal backdrop mapping for a variety of applications on the desktop and Internet and can be combined with additional datasets to make the display and dissemination of maps simple and effective.

CONTACTS:
Alison Smith, Marketing & Sales Manager, SeaZone
Tel: +44 (0) 870 013 0607, Email: Alison.smith@SeaZone.com, Web: www.SeaZone.com

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