Whether a storm overflow is spilling near each St Austell Bay beach right now — live — plus the official bathing-water rating for how clean the water is normally.
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St Austell Bay's beaches rate among the cleanest in the country on the Environment Agency's yearly rating — but that rating is about past seasons, not today's water. After heavy rain, storm overflows can spill near a beach and rivers wash run-off into the bay. This shows whether a monitored South West Water overflow is spilling near each beach right now, alongside the official rating for how clean the water is normally.
No storm overflow is spilling near the beaches right now
As of Wed 22:22. This shows monitored storm overflows only — not every source of pollution, and never a judgement that the water is safe to go in.
Bathing water 2025
No monitored overflow spilling near here now
Lifeguarded in the main summer season; the closest beach to the town.
Bathing water 2025
No monitored overflow spilling near here now
The shingle-and-sand beach beside the historic harbour.
Bathing water 2025
No monitored overflow spilling near here now
A small cove between Charlestown and Porthpean.
Bathing water 2025
No monitored overflow spilling near here now
The main, western beach at Carlyon Bay.
Bathing water 2025
No monitored overflow spilling near here now
The eastern beach at Carlyon Bay.
Bathing water 2025
No monitored overflow spilling near here now
A wide family beach behind the boating lake, east towards Par.
Bathing water 2025
No monitored overflow spilling near here now
At the mouth of the St Austell River, south of the town.
After heavy rain
A quiet board here is not an all-clear. Storm overflows are only one source — rivers, the St Austell River mouth and land run-off also carry bacteria, and none of those show up here. The rule surfers and swimmers follow is to stay out of the sea for about 48 hours after heavy rain, whatever this page says.
A quiet overflow is not an all-clear. This is one source of pollution, not the whole picture, and it is not the Environment Agency’s in-season water samples. The classification below rates past years, not today’s water.
Pick a beach and we’ll email you when a monitored overflow starts spilling near it — and again when it stops. Nothing else.
Live spill status: contains South West Water storm overflow data, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Bathing-water ratings: contains Environment Agency data © Environment Agency and database right, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.