Bathing Water Designation at Coastguards Beach
in collaboration with Surfers Against Sewage - Protecting Wild Waters Campaign
We did it!
In May 2024 DEFRA announced that Coastguards Beach on the River Erme will
become a designated bathing water.
This follows a lengthy application process led by WATER with much support from the local community. Thank you to everyone who helped to make this possible.
The Environment Agency (EA) now assume responsibility for monitoring water quality at Coastguards Beach. Testing will take place during the bathing season which runs from May to September. After one season of sampling, the EA will make a water quality classification;excellent , good, sufficient or poor, investigate sources of pollution and recommend measures to improve water quality. This will play an important role in protecting water users and the environment around the River Erme.
Follow these links for more information on Bathing Water application process, the outcomes of DEFRA's national consultation and the SAS Protecting Wild Waters campaign.
If you have skills related to water quality or simply want to get involved, please sign up for the WATER newsletter or contact our team.
Why Coastguards Beach?
Coastguards Beach and the surrounding estuary links the River Erme to Mothecombe Beach and the sea. The site is within South Devon National Landscape (previously known as South Devon AONB), A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and part of the Erme Estuary Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ) Erme Estuary Marine Conservation Zone factsheet. Nearby Mothecombe beach has been rated ‘Good’ by the Environment Agency (EA) since 2016 (Mothecombe Bathing waters data). Coastguards Beach and its surrounding estuary are used by swimmers, bathers, dippers, paddlers, walkers, runners, paddleboarders, kayakers, surfers and windsurfers all year round. The SW Coast Path crosses the estuary, and the beach is popular with dog walkers, horse riders and builders of sandcastles,
and yet...
EA data from 2023 tells us that in terms of hours sewage spills Mothecombe was ranked the eigth highest beach in the country . This is an indication that the water quality in the river affects the whole estuary and its beaches, which still suffer from intermittent levels of pollution flowing down the Erme. It is also affected by local weather conditions and run off from all types of land use.
