Porthcothan water quality
GREENdesignated bathing water · · South West Water
Porthcothan 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 152 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): 1.5 mm
Official EA classification
excellent (2025)
Latest official sample
2026-08-17 — E.coli 10, enterococci 10 cfu/100ml
Latest independent sample
None published
Pollution & environment data
Recent storm overflows nearby (30 days)
No spills recorded within 5 km in the last 30 days.
In the news nearby
- 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
- South West Water owner says firm must rebuild trust after parasite outbreak · 2026-06-10
- South West Water owner admits firm must learn lesson from Devon parasite outbreak · 2026-06-10
- Antibiotic residues in wastewater found to fuel drug resistance : study - Xinhua · 2026-06-09
- St Michael Mount Cornwall among best wild swimming spots · 2026-07-19
- 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, 9 min2026-07-01 · ~4.9 km
- spill, 2 min2026-06-18 · ~2.0 km
- spill, 2 min2026-06-18 · ~2.0 km
- spill, 17 min2026-06-17 · ~4.2 km
- spill, 17 min2026-06-17 · ~4.2 km
Full spill history near Porthcothan
Download CSVEvery storm-overflow discharge Glanmor has recorded within 5 km of Porthcothan, newest first.
4 discharge events
| Start | End | Outfall | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-01 09:00 | 2026-07-01 09:08 | TREVONE BAY | ~4.9 km |
| 2026-06-18 08:45 | 2026-06-18 08:47 | TREYARNON STREAM | ~2.0 km |
| 2026-06-17 07:26 | 2026-06-17 07:43 | MOTHER IVEYS BAY (C) | ~4.2 km |
| 2026-03-02 14:43 | 2026-03-03 01:13 | TREVONE BAY | ~4.9 km |
11 precise spill records (duration & volume)
| When | Detail | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-01 09:00 | spill, 9 min | ~4.9 km |
| 2026-06-18 08:45 | spill, 2 min | ~2.0 km |
| 2026-06-18 08:45 | spill, 2 min | ~2.0 km |
| 2026-06-17 07:26 | spill, 17 min | ~4.2 km |
| 2026-06-17 07:26 | spill, 17 min | ~4.2 km |
| 2026-03-03 12:25 | spill, 10 min | ~4.0 km |
| 2026-03-03 12:25 | spill, 10 min | ~4.0 km |
| 2026-03-02 14:43 | spill, 630 min | ~4.9 km |
| 2026-03-02 14:43 | spill, 630 min | ~4.9 km |
| 2026-03-02 12:55 | spill, 173 min | ~4.4 km |
| 2026-03-02 12:55 | spill, 173 min | ~4.4 km |
Water quality — 7-year trend
Water quality improved in 2026: average E. coli was 41% lower than 2025.
| Year | EA classification | Samples | E. coli (geo-mean) | Enterococci (geo-mean) | High readings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | — | 12 | 18 cfu/100ml | 16 cfu/100ml | 1 of 12 |
| 2020 | — | 3 | 26 cfu/100ml | 21 cfu/100ml | 0 |
| 2021 | — | 20 | 15 cfu/100ml | 16 cfu/100ml | 0 |
| 2022 | — | 20 | 14 cfu/100ml | 14 cfu/100ml | 0 |
| 2023 | — | 20 | 16 cfu/100ml | 17 cfu/100ml | 1 of 20 |
| 2024 | — | 15 | 16 cfu/100ml | 18 cfu/100ml | 1 of 15 |
| 2025 | excellent | 10 | 19 cfu/100ml | 18 cfu/100ml | 0 |
| 2026 | — | 11 | 11 cfu/100ml | 12 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.
Porthcothan — frequently asked questions
Is it safe to swim at Porthcothan today?
Porthcothan 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 Porthcothan?
152 storm-overflow spills were recorded near Porthcothan in 2025 (EA Event Duration Monitoring), and 4 spill events have been logged nearby so far this year.
What is Porthcothan's bathing water classification?
Porthcothan is classified excellent for 2025 by the Environment Agency.
Data & provenance
- Last updated
- just now (2026-08-26 19:30 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, 3 outfalls monitored within 5 km.
- Risk model
- v0.4
- Download
- Sample timeline (JSON) · All beaches (CSV)
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