40 warnings in Cornwall as beaches blighted by sewage

Lisa Letcher

22 September 2024 at 9:50 am·2-min read

-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)

Cornwall's stunning beaches are awash with sewage today following lashings of heavy rain and thunderstorms amid a yellow weather warning. Sunday swims and surfing sessions have come to an abrupt halt for sea-goers with a whopping four dozen pollution alerts in place across the county.

Sewage warnings and alerts are in place as far west as Sennen, near Penzance, spanning all the way to Kingsand, near Torpoint, in southeast Cornwall. Campaign group Surfers Against Sewage says: "Cornwall is alight with sewage pollution warnings today".

It said: "Surf lessons are being cancelled, swimming groups are having to stop Sunday morning swims, welcome to autumn."

The group puts out warnings to members of the public over beaches where storm sewage has recently been discharged. If a warning is in place it means sewage has been discharged from an overflow in that location within the past 48 hours.

As a result, bathing is not advised on 40 beaches in Cornwall today due to the likelihood of reduced water quality. Two additional beaches have 'other' pollution warnings not relating to sewage according to the map, built from its free Safer Seas & Rivers Service (SSRS) app.

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Some use of storm overflows is permitted, to avoid sewer networks becoming overwhelmed and risking sewage backing up into homes and businesses. However, it has been alleged that many water companies are using storm overflows far more regularly than they ought to and people are becoming increasingly fed up with the regular occurances.

In 2023 there were 464,056 recorded sewage discharges from storm overflows in England. Together they lasted 3.6 million hours. All overflows had monitors fitted by the end of 2023.

The full list of Cornwall beaches where sewage or other has been discharged in the past 24 hours:

Trevone Bay (other, not sewage)

Polzeath

Harlyn Bay

Porthcothan

Mawgan Porth

Porth

Fistral North

Fistral South

Crantock

Trevaunance Cove (other pollution incident, not sewage)

Portreath

Godrevy Towans

Gwithian Towans

Porthkidney

Porthminster

Sennen

Porthcurno

Long Rock

Marazion

Perranuthnoe

Poldhu Cove

Polurrian Cove

Church Cove

Coverack

Porthoustock

Porthallow

Maenporth Beach

Swanpool

Gyllyngvase

Porthluney

Gorran Haven Little Perhaver

Portmellon

Pentewan

Porthpean

Shorthorn

Par Sands

Polkerris

Readymoney Cove

East Looe

Seaton

Downderry

Kingsand

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