2024 Bathing Water Profile for Cawsand
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Cawsand is on the south coast of Cornwall. It is a sand and shingle beach resort, approximately 120 metres wide, close to the village of Cawsand.
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Cornwall
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Cornwall
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The Environment Agency periodically carries out additional catchment monitoring, and this is used to make recommendations for further improvements to protect and improve bathing water quality.
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There is an emergency/storm overflow from Cawsand that discharges into the sea 100m southeast of the Environment Agency monitoring point. The operation of the overflow can lead to a temporary drop in bathing water quality.
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In the past there were four untreated sewage discharges that affected the water quality at Kingsand and Cawsand beaches. These continuous discharges were removed by South West Water in April 2001, and sewage is now pumped one and a half kilometres north to Millbrook sewage treatment works where it is treated to a secondary standard. The outfalls at Kingsand and Cawsand have been retained as combined sewer overflows. Storm overflow event duration monitoring (EDM) was installed at Cawsand South combined sewer overflow by April 2016.
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For the four year (2020-2023) assessment period where data is available, seaweed (macroalgae) was assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable for 11% of visits, with 84% of visits noting the presence of seaweed (macroalgae). This bathing water does not have a history of large amounts of seaweed (macro algae).
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Wrongly connected domestic waste water pipes can also affect the bathing water quality. Modern sewerage systems have two separate systems, one takes foul sewage to sewage treatment, the other takes rainwater runoff through surface water drains to rivers, lakes and the sea. Misconnections occur when waste water pipes are plumbed into surface water drains instead of the foul water sewerage system. This can give rise to pollution when the waste water is discharged directly to the environment through the surface water drain. For example, a washing machine or toilet may be incorrectly plumbed so that it discharges to the surface drain rather than the foul sewage drain.
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For the four year (2020-2023) assessment period where data is available, phytoplankton (microscopic algae) was not noted at this site. Phytoplankton (microscopic algae) naturally increase in number at certain times of the year. This process is known as a phytoplankton bloom. This bathing water does not have a history of phytoplankton blooms. The risks to human health from contact, ingestion or inhalation with marine algae that currently occur in UK coastal waters are considered to be low. However, some individuals may be more sensitive and display some reactions. A common marine algae found in UK coastal waters is Phaeocystis, which is often mistaken for sewage as it forms foam and a brown scum, but it is non-toxic.
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There are no active pollution risk forecasts made at this bathing water. However any bathing water has the potential to be affected by a pollution incident and if this occurs a pollution risk warning with associated advice against bathing will be issued on this website.
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2024 Bathing Water Profile for Cawsand
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2024-09-30
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2024-05-01
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Streams and rivers are typically affected by human sewage, animal slurry and runoff from roads. The Cawsand Stream enters the sea at this bathing water. The Environment Agency have monitored the stream between 2009 and 2012, and found that water quality is temporarily worse during and after heavy rainfall.
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Environment Agency samplers make observations of litter present on the beach at every visit, this includes assessments of sewage debris, litter and tar. At Cawsand for the four year (2020-2023) assessment period where data is available, sewage debris was not noted at this site. Litter was not assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable, but was observed as being present on 27% of visits. Tarry residue was not noted at this site.
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The catchment surrounding Cawsand is approximately 176 hectares. The Cawsand Stream is approximately 1.75 kilometres (km) long and is channelled underground as it flows through Cawsand and enters the sea at the bathing water. The steep catchment means rain runs off rapidly into the stream.
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Cawsand
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Cawsand
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Sampling point at Cawsand
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243420
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50.330855517949935
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-4.201377459873182
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50200
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Sampling point at Cawsand
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p152 dT23 h59 m59 s
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2024 05 01 t00:00:00
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2024-05-01T00:00:00
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2024 09 30 t23:59:59
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2024-09-30T23:59:59
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2024 26530:1
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Seaweed (macroalgae) and phytoplankton (microscopic algae) are a natural part of the marine and freshwater environment. Below we note whether these have been recorded in quantities sufficient to be a nuisance.
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The majority of sewers in England are “combined sewers” and carry both sewage and surface water from roofs and drains. A storm overflow operates during heavy rainfall when the sewerage system becomes overwhelmed by the amount of surface water. The overflow prevents sewage from backing up pipes and flooding properties and gardens. An emergency overflow will only operate infrequently, for example due to pump failure or blockage in the sewerage system.
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Heavy rain falling on pavements and roads often flows into surface water drains or highway drains, ending up in local rivers and ultimately the sea. The quality of bathing water may be adversely affected as a result of such events.
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It is the Environment Agency role to drive improvement of water quality at bathing waters that are at risk of failing higher standards. It is natural for water to run off the land to the sea. Water quality at a bathing water is dependent upon the type and area of land (the catchment) draining to the water and the activities undertaken in that catchment.
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Discharges from sewage treatment works have improved substantially in England since the 1980s.
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