Sewage has been discharged into Cornwall’s waterways despite an official drought having been declared in the county.
South West Water’s website shows that the monitor at Town Quay pumping station overflow in Fowey was activated between 9.03am and 10.56pm – a total of 1 hour and 53 minutes, and again between 8.55pm and 11.18pm on 16 August – a total of two hours and 23 minutes.
Sewage discharges occurred at the same overflow, which is owned and operated by South West Water, a day earlier. On 15 August, sewage was discharged between 8.18am and 10.25am and between 8.07pm and 10.57pm.
The overflow spills into the River Fowey estuary, near popular bathing spots such as Whitehouse Beach, Polkerris Beach, and Readymoney Cove. Meanwhile, a part of the River Fowey in Lostwithiel gained official designated bathing water status with routine Environment Agency testing.
The incidents follow a drought being declared in Cornwall on 29 July after record-breaking dry weather, which saw river flows, groundwater levels and reservoir storage decline across much of the country.
