The Environment Agency (EA) released the 2024 classifications for bathing water in England on Tuesday 26^th November. Of the 155 bathing waters in Devon and Cornwall, where the Environment Agency takes weekly tests for water quality from May to September, only three achieved a ‘Poor’ rating.

Disappointingly, Coastguards Beach at the mouth of the river Erme was one of them;  neighbouring Mothecombe Beach was classified as ‘Good’.

Wild About The Erme River (WATER) is an environmental charity focused on restoring water quality and habitat throughout the catchment of the Erme, from source to sea. It has been monitoring the Environment Agency’s data as well as conducting it’s own testing as part of a Citizen Science project.

This was the first year of Bathing Water designation for Coastguards Beach. It followed a long campaign led by Emily Woodley on behalf of WATER and supported by over a thousand members of the local community and Surfers Against Sewage.

WATER is very much a fact-based, science-led charity hence the emphasis on data and testing.

Bathing Water classifications are based on the level of Faecal Indicator Organisms e.g. E coli, found in the water.  Elevated levels of these organisms were found in number of the EA tests at Coastguards resulting in the ‘Poor’ classification.  They were also found at testing points further upstream, one on the Erme at Ermington and the other on the Ayleston Brook at Modbury that feeds into the Erme. Both test points were downstream of waste water treatment works

In 2022, South West Water’s own investigation into water quality in the vicinity of the Erme Estuary proposed Ultra Violet Biological Treatment be installed at both the Ermington and Modbury Treatment Works. WATER understands that these upgrades are in the current SWW asset improvement plan but have not yet started.

Commenting on the Environment Agency’s announcement, Lizzie Cresswell, Community Water Quality Officer at Surfers Against Sewage said: “With sites that are designated as 'Poor', regulators are obliged to prevent, reduce, and eliminate sources of pollution. This is a critical lever for driving change and investment – but we need to keep holding polluters and regulators to account. Currently, a site that gets 'Poor' for five years risks being de-designated and simply swept under the rug. That's unacceptable for the wild waters we love to swim, surf and paddle in.

Emily Woodley, who led the Coastguards Beach Bathing Water campaign said:

“The categorisation of Coastguards Beach as ‘Poor’ is disappointing but sadly not a surprise.  However, a single word can hide the complexities of how Bathing Water quality is calculated and what this actually means for water users.

Coastguards Beach is at the mouth of a tidal estuary. Pollution levels in fresh water from upstream will impact on the water quality at the estuary but this varies. The proportion of fresh water is greater at low tide but as the tide comes in the fresh water is somewhat overwhelmed by the volume of salt water.

Charlotte Grezo, WATER’s Chair commented: “Achieving bathing water status for Coastguards meant the Environment Agency were independently monitoring water quality. Their findings require them to investigate further to trace pollution sources, which may be multiple, and ensure remedial action is taken. We welcome their engagement in this process of continual improvement.”

WATER is now pressing the Environment Agency to declare its plan of action to remedy the pollution problems at Coastguards and lobbying South West Water to accelerate their existing plans for the addition of UV treatment at the Ermington and Modbury Treatment Works.