Life inside West Country 'sewage capital' where locals are kicking up a stink

Sally Matthews and her daughter Samantha Matthews, from St Day, enjoying a day on the beach at Portreath
-Credit: (Image: Olivier Vergnault / Cornwall Live)


Portreath, a picturesque coastal village, is known for its scenic beauty. Whether basking in the sun on a tranquil day or embracing the wildness of a stormy winter walk, the village's allure is undeniable.

This north coast hamlet, once a bustling industrial harbour where ships exchanged Welsh coal for Cornish tin and copper until the early '70s, now draws coastal walkers, dog enthusiasts, and tourists alike. With no leisure centre or supermarket and only one of its three pubs currently open, Portreath relies heavily on its beach to attract legions of holidaymakers.

Nonetheless, the village boasts a robust community spirit. Many locals finding solace and camaraderie by the sea, which they believe offers both physical and mental health benefits.

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"It takes two and half hours on the bus to get to Truro from here," remarked Ruth FitzJohn, a prominent figure in the local Portreath and Porthtowan Bluetits swimmers group. "We don't have much as a village, but it is a warm and friendly community. For many of us, going in the sea is a way to show connection and human warmth."

"We're proud of where we live. We love it here when it's quiet and when the beach is full of thousands of visitors. We want our local businesses to thrive. And we want our village to be safe and welcoming and have three pubs, not just one. That's why we're angry.", reports Cornwall Live.

Portreath finds itself in the midst of a sewage pollution crisis. The town is home to two large combined sewage overflow (CSO) outlets, which discharge untreated sewage directly into the sea near the iconic Monkey Hut on the pier and by the rocks on the opposite side of the beach.

Furthermore, the seaside village handles at least half of the sewage from the entire Camborne, Pool and Redruth area. The sewage is directed to the pumping station in Portreath before being transported uphill to the treatment station. The treated water then flows into the Red River and out to sea at Godrevy, approximately 2km (1.24 miles) away from Portreath.

However, when the system is overwhelmed, untreated sewage is discharged directly into the Red River. In total, there are about nine CSOs in the area, resulting in sewage potentially ending up in or near the sea in Portreath.

During our visit, as local families soaked up the last of the summer sun before the onset of the rainy season, it was easy to see why Portreath has been awarded Seaside Award status. However, local sea users campaigning for cleaner seas will tell you that a 'Blue Flag' does not necessarily equate to clean seas.

The status considers overall cleanliness and facilities, while water quality tests are conducted during the bathing season from May to September when there are typically fewer legal and illegal sewage spills. "The fact I don't happen to swallow sh*t when I'm in the sea," Ruth stated, "doesn't mean it's not there and isn't a problem."

The Bluetits of Portreath have been outspoken and passionate about the issue of sewage pollution. "We swim here most days," fellow Bluetit Tina Dennett said.

"On occasions we have had to find other beaches to go to when the sewage has been bad at Portreath. We shouldn't have to because there shouldn't be any sewage going in the sea in the first place."

For her, like many other sea enthusiasts, an early morning swim in the sea is a fantastic experience and a wonderful way to kick-start the day. It's beneficial for mental health, joint health, and social well-being, something the group realised during the Covid pandemic when it became a support network for many.

Tina further added: "This is a beautiful place to be. It's much safer than at other beaches. When the tide is high and it's a bit stormy we have the Little Beach in the harbour so we can still come out and swim."

"But years of mismanagement of the water and sewage system by water companies, not just here in Cornwall but across the country, and under-investment in the infrastructure and lack of transparency from South West Water (SWW) means we're still in a situation where sewage ends up in the sea."

"SWW don't engage with us. They keep saying it's not an issue even when they admit they overspill hundreds of times."

According to Top of the Poops, a group backed by St Agnes-based environmental campaign organisation Surfers Against Sewage (SAS), which scrutinises sewage pollution by the water industry in England and Wales (water management is public in Scotland), Portreath beach was polluted by sewage 120 times in 2023, with incidents lasting a total of 2,180 hours. This equates to just over three months, or sewage pollution incidents happening 2.3 times a week.

Last November, the Bluetits of Portreath staged a protest on the beach to draw attention to the fact that their beach, a vital asset to the village and numerous tourism-dependent businesses, had been subject to sewage alerts for 26 consecutive days. At the time, SAS reported multiple sewage alerts at Porthtowan, St Agnes, Godrevy and Gwithian.

Sewage overflows are designed to serve as an emergency relief valve for the sewerage system to prevent sewage from backing up into people's homes and businesses. Legislation stipulates they should only be used in 'exceptional circumstances'.

Despite this, there have been hundreds of thousands of discharges happening every year. In 2021 alone, water companies discharged sewage into rivers and seas over 370,000 times. That's 2.7 million hours of sewage ending up on beaches and river banks.

Earlier this year, South West Water (SWW) was rated as having the worst sewage pollution record ever. It was also rated as "the worst performing company for pollution incidents in the Environmental Performance Assessment's 13-year history".

The report by the Environment Agency (EA), akin to an Ofsted report for schools or a Care Quality Commission report for health and social care settings, has slammed SWW, giving the company two stars.

The poor rating for SWW was mostly due to the incidents of sewage being dumped in our rivers and sea whether legally or illegally. The EA's report showed that SWW has had one of the worst records in the country for pollution incidents every year for the past 13 years.

In April this year, the company appeared before a court facing a series of charges relating to illegal water discharge activities and breaches of environmental permits. The company faced 30 charges relating to waste water treatment works, sewage pumping stations and sewer network at locations across Cornwall and Plymouth between 2015 and 2021.

Local resident in Portreath and member of the Bluetits group, Sue Jago, has spoken out about her concerns. "People are getting sick," she said.

"In the mid 90s two of my sons and their friends ended up in hospital with meningitis that the doctor attributed directly to sewage in the sea. It's still going on today. People continue to be sick."

She emphasised the importance of clean seas: "It matters to us that sewage no longer ends up in the sea, because it's dirty and it is not just for us. This planet doesn't belong to us."

The proactive 77 year old, who was wearing a T-shirt stating 'Sh*t Free Sea', shared her personal connection to the sea: "I swim here all the time. I've been a member of the local Surf Life Saving Club for 40 years. As as I get older the health benefits of going in the sea have been enormous. It's also helped me after I lost my husband four and a half years ago. It's a social thing. We support each other. We shouldn't have to stop because SWW dumps sewage in the sea."

The village's parish council has taken a hard stance against sewage problems by sending a stinging letter of no confidence to South West Water. The September letter, shared with CornwallLive by Portreath Parish Council, states: "The frequent activation of the Portreath storm overflow and other relevant CSOs has resulted in residents and visitors being unable to enter the Portreath bathing water confident in the knowledge that it is safe to do so. Additionally, the wider environmental impact is a matter of great concern. Given this unacceptable position the Parish Council agreed to the vote of no confidence in South West Water."

Regarding the frequency of incidents, the parish council reported 152 sewage overspills at Portreath in 2020, 94 in 2021, 80 in the following year, and 120 in 2023.

Further criticisms were outlined in the letter: "According to the real time information provided by the Surfers Against Sewage app, there have been a considerable number of days during the winter and spring of 2024 when the Portreath sewage overflow has been activated. Clearly you will agree that nearly 200 consecutive days of overflow or aftermath cannot be considered the exceptional frequency that is permitted for the use or CSOs."

According to statistics provided by Surfers Against Sewage (SAS), the Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) located just beyond the entrance to the harbour has been operational for 171 out of 173 days since November. "That's no longer exceptional as it should be," commented James Luxton, head of communities at SAS, a Portreath local and avid surfer.

Luxton expressed his distress as he met with us on the beach: "It'd expect 'exceptional' to be maybe twice a year. Not this. It's no longer exceptional, it's the norm."

As someone who enjoys taking advantage of the beach alongside his children for after school and work activities, and who regularly surfs there, Luxton shared his personal experience: "I can nip out for a surf and be back at my desk within the hour. This is a lovely place. It would be perfect if it wasn't full of sh*t. It's been bad here but there has been this pattern all around the country. It's no longer exceptional and that's the problem."

South West Water (SWW) refuted the implications of these stats, arguing that the sewage alert figures utilized by SAS are maintained for a duration of 48 hours regardless of whether a spill occurred for a few minutes or an hour, contesting that their own figures, which remain visible for only 12 hours, present a more truthful picture of events. However, SAS confirmed that it does indeed keep alerts up for the 48-hour period so as to cover two full tidal cycles, ensuring any pollution is adequately cleared.

A spokesperson for SWW clarified: "As the SAS app shows an alert for 48 hours, some spills would have stopped for a period of up to 48 hours while the alert was in place but then restarted before the alert was removed, causing it to reactivate. Therefore, it's not accurate to say we were continuously spilling."

South West Water, in its Business Plan for 2025-30, admitted the loss of public trust due to issues surrounding sewage, pollutions, and storm overflows. Simon Goodwin, chairman of Portreath Parish Council, addressed SWW in a letter stating: "We have looked fairly at the available data so we can understand the issues and some of the complexities. We appreciate your commitment to increased monitoring but the core issue remains: the very frequent discharge from the CSOs near Portreath, in particular from the Portreath CSO."

He further underscored the community's demands: "Portreath Parish Council and its residents need South West Water to prevent sewage entering the bathing water in all but extreme conditions. We also need you to have the monitoring in place that will enable residents and visitors to Portreath to have informed year-round access to the bathing water at Portreath without fear of the potential ill effects or environmental issues of untreated sewage contamination from any of the ten CSOs that discharge into our local bathing water. In summary we want and need you to get it right in the future to rebuild the trust you acknowledge you have lost."

The Bluetits, along with other enthusiasts for beach and sea activities and the parish council, are rallying for enhanced signage around the beach and village. This move would enable both locals and tourists to make informed decisions about whether to enter the sea.

They are also campaigning for an extension of the bathing season to ensure water quality can be monitored throughout the year, even after the majority of holidaymakers have departed.

"We have visitors all year round," Ruth explained. "We have plenty of families who come here out of season but they won't necessarily know if there's sewage in the river or in the sea."

James highlighted that extending the bathing season is a decision that lies within Defra's powers and could be implemented swiftly without needing legislative changes.

On a sunny day at the beach, the Matthews family from St Day, comprising Sally Matthews, her daughter Samantha Matthews and her granddaughter, spoke about their concerns. They concur that more comprehensive information is critical so people can make informed choices.

"Sewage pollution is an issue and everyone should be made aware of it, then it's up to them what they do," Sally said.

Sally also expressed her dissatisfaction with the state of the seas stating: "There should not be sewage in the sea in the first place. I can't remember it as a child it being an issue. Maybe people are more clued up about it or there is more of it. But it is concern."

A local tourism operator, who requested anonymity, has voiced concerns about the detrimental effects of sewage-related coverage on social media and in the press on local businesses. They remarked: "It should be sorted for it is wrong but I'm not sure all the bad publicity has had any impact on SWW."

The business owner continued with frustration regarding the response to the issue: "They're not sorting it out. They just broadcast regularly about how bad they are. That's how blase they are."

On the other hand, SWW has acknowledged the concerns and outlined its plan to address them, with a promised investment at Portreath. A spokesperson explained the issue, stating: "We get a high influx of surface water in the Portreath network when there is heavy and localised rainfall. This can feed into the system from highway or land drainage, groundwater infiltration, and even streams."

SWW further clarified its investigative approach and cooperation with local authorities: "We are working to understand what those sources are in Portreath and the route through which they are entering and overwhelming the network. Where there is surface or groundwater entering the sewer, we will work closely with local authorities to determine alternative drainage pathways for this water."

In their statement, the spokesperson highlighted proactive measures being taken: "We are actively reducing the use of storm overflows at Portreath Beach by investing around £150,000 by March 2025. Specifically, this investment will look to reduce surface water entering the sewerage network upstream of Bridge pumping station from a range of potential sources, reducing the need for the storm overflow to operate."

SAS welcomed the notion of further funds, with the caveat: "All investment is good, but as always we will wait to see the end results before hailing this sort of commitment as the sector has been underinvesting for three decades."

In contrast, the Bluetits of Portreath were more skeptical. Ruth reflected: "SWW was debt free when it was privatised in 1989. All water companies were given a nice £1.5bn package to sort out the infrastructure. Now they want to increase our water bills to pay for it. So I ask, where did the money go? What have they done? ".

The village is taking action, with Ruth explaining: "As a village we're doing all we can. We have been writing to all the national agencies, we're asking the parish and Cornwall councils and the MP for what they can do to help, we've written to SWW and we protest. But most of all, we're withholding our sewage payment from our water bills. When they stop putting sh*t in the sea we'll pay it."