Great Western water quality
GREENdesignated bathing water · · South West Water
Great Western is a designated bathing water in Cornwall, currently rated GREEN for swimming — No recent overflow, no pollution warning, low rainfall, no high samples. Its latest Environment Agency classification is excellent (2025), and 178 storm-overflow spills were recorded nearby in 2025. Below: live risk, recent spills, official samples, rainfall, tides and nearby reports.
Current status
Risk: GREEN No recent overflow, no pollution warning, low rainfall, no high samples.
- Active overflows nearby: 0
- Recent overflows (48h): 0
- Rainfall (48h): 0.8 mm
Official EA classification
excellent (2025)
Latest official sample
2026-08-11 — E.coli 10, enterococci 10 cfu/100ml
Latest independent sample
None published
Pollution & environment data
Recent storm overflows nearby (30 days)
- 2026-08-19 04:42 · ended~1.8 km
In the news nearby
- Why some storm overflow alerts may not mean a spill · 2026-08-25
- South West Water owner says firm must rebuild trust after parasite outbreak · 2026-06-10
- South West Water owner says firm must rebuild trust after parasite outbreak · 2026-06-10
- South West Water owner says firm must rebuild trust after parasite outbreak · 2026-06-10
- Welsh Water to pay out £44 . 7m over sewage spills after seriou failures · 2026-06-05
- South West Water owner says firm must rebuild trust after parasite outbreak · 2026-06-10
- South West Water owner says firm must rebuild trust after parasite outbreak | Dumbarton and Vale of Leven Reporter · 2026-06-10
- South West Water owner says firm must rebuild trust after parasite outbreak · 2026-06-10
Storm-overflow spills near here, by year (EDM)
Recent spills near here (precise, SWW)
- spill, 10 min2026-08-19 · ~1.8 km
- spill, 10 min2026-06-19 · ~1.8 km
- spill, 10 min2026-06-19 · ~1.8 km
- spill, 113 min2026-06-18 · ~4.2 km
- spill, 113 min2026-06-18 · ~4.2 km
Full spill history near Great Western
Download CSVEvery storm-overflow discharge Glanmor has recorded within 5 km of Great Western, newest first.
9 discharge events
| Start | End | Outfall | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-19 04:42 | 2026-08-19 05:15 | UNNAMED DITCH,TRENANCE LAKE(S) | ~1.8 km |
| 2026-06-19 23:48 | 2026-06-19 23:58 | UNNAMED DITCH,TRENANCE LAKE(S) | ~1.8 km |
| 2026-06-18 02:26 | 2026-06-18 04:19 | TRIB OF PORTH JOKE | ~4.2 km |
| 2026-05-22 16:31 | 2026-05-22 16:36 | ATLANTIC OCEAN (C) | ~2.5 km |
| 2026-05-03 17:29 | 2026-05-03 18:59 | ATLANTIC OCEAN(T) | ~1.8 km |
| 2026-05-03 13:42 | 2026-05-03 14:14 | RIVER GANNEL (S) | ~2.7 km |
| 2026-03-03 13:37 | 2026-03-03 13:50 | NEWQUAY BAY (C) | ~0.8 km |
| 2026-02-27 21:40 | 2026-03-06 03:58 | STREAM/ATLANTIC OCEAN (S) | ~4.1 km |
| 2026-02-01 22:54 | 2026-02-01 22:58 | CRANTOCK BEACH (C) | ~2.8 km |
19 precise spill records (duration & volume)
| When | Detail | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-19 04:42 | spill, 10 min | ~1.8 km |
| 2026-06-19 23:48 | spill, 10 min | ~1.8 km |
| 2026-06-19 23:48 | spill, 10 min | ~1.8 km |
| 2026-06-18 02:26 | spill, 113 min | ~4.2 km |
| 2026-06-18 02:26 | spill, 113 min | ~4.2 km |
| 2026-05-22 16:31 | spill, 6 min | ~2.5 km |
| 2026-05-22 16:31 | spill, 6 min | ~2.5 km |
| 2026-05-03 17:29 | spill, 90 min | ~1.8 km |
| 2026-05-03 17:29 | spill, 90 min | ~1.8 km |
| 2026-05-03 13:42 | spill, 32 min | ~2.7 km |
| 2026-05-03 13:42 | spill, 32 min | ~2.7 km |
| 2026-03-03 13:37 | spill, 13 min | ~0.8 km |
| 2026-03-03 13:37 | spill, 13 min | ~0.8 km |
| 2026-02-27 21:40 | spill, 9018 min | ~4.1 km |
| 2026-02-27 21:40 | spill, 9018 min | ~4.1 km |
| 2026-02-25 12:14 | spill, 6 min | ~2.0 km |
| 2026-02-25 12:14 | spill, 6 min | ~2.0 km |
| 2026-02-01 22:54 | spill, 3 min | ~2.8 km |
| 2026-02-01 22:54 | spill, 3 min | ~2.8 km |
Water quality — 7-year trend
Water quality improved in 2026: average E. coli was 23% lower than 2025.
| Year | EA classification | Samples | E. coli (geo-mean) | Enterococci (geo-mean) | High readings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | — | 12 | 12 cfu/100ml | 11 cfu/100ml | 0 |
| 2020 | — | 3 | 43 cfu/100ml | 66 cfu/100ml | 1 of 3 |
| 2021 | — | 20 | 12 cfu/100ml | 12 cfu/100ml | 0 |
| 2022 | — | 21 | 12 cfu/100ml | 16 cfu/100ml | 1 of 21 |
| 2023 | — | 21 | 11 cfu/100ml | 12 cfu/100ml | 0 |
| 2024 | — | 20 | 13 cfu/100ml | 13 cfu/100ml | 0 |
| 2025 | excellent | 20 | 14 cfu/100ml | 11 cfu/100ml | 0 |
| 2026 | — | 14 | 10 cfu/100ml | 10 cfu/100ml | 0 |
Geometric mean of Environment Agency samples per calendar year (the standard bathing-water statistic). "High readings" are samples at or above 500 E. coli or 200 enterococci cfu/100ml.
Great Western — frequently asked questions
Is it safe to swim at Great Western today?
Great Western is currently rated GREEN: No recent overflow, no pollution warning, low rainfall, no high samples. This is guidance only — also check official alerts and use your judgement.
Has there been a sewage spill near Great Western?
178 storm-overflow spills were recorded near Great Western in 2025 (EA Event Duration Monitoring), and 9 spill events have been logged nearby so far this year.
What is Great Western's bathing water classification?
Great Western is classified excellent for 2025 by the Environment Agency.
Data & provenance
- Last updated
- 34 min ago (2026-08-26 15:15 UTC)
- Sources
- Environment Agency (samples & classification), South West Water (overflows), EA EDM (annual spills), Open-Meteo (rainfall & tide). Full list on about.
- Confidence
- High — official classification, 8 outfalls monitored within 5 km.
- Risk model
- v0.4
- Download
- Sample timeline (JSON) · All beaches (CSV)
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