Residents of St Ives, a popular seaside town in Cornwall, have expressed significant frustration and concern after reports emerged of raw sewage contaminating the sea near the town's harbour. The incident reportedly occurred on Thursday, following a period of heavy rainfall that assailed the area the previous day.

Locals described seeing considerable amounts of effluent waste in the water, including tampons, tissue, and human excrement. One resident, speaking to CornwallLive, characterised the pollution as a 'brown sludge' that produced a strong and unpleasant odour. John Chard, a resident and boat owner, issued a caution to the public, advising: "Just a warning to all that maybe follow me and may be coming to St Ives. Be very careful at the moment if you are swimming around St Ives as there is a major sewage problem and several people have become unwell."

The contamination follows heavy rainfall, which residents believe caused raw sewage to be discharged into the sea. The environmental group Surfers Against Sewage issued multiple sewage alerts in the area following the downpour, signalling concerns over water quality and pollution risks.

Despite these alerts, South West Water (SWW), the water utility company responsible for the region, maintained that there were "no signs" of sewage contamination. A spokesperson for SWW stated: "The pumping station is working as expected and there have been no storm overflow spills in the area. We encourage anyone who spots a potential pollution to contact us by calling 0344 346 2020 or report it on our website."

The statement from South West Water was met with frustration from local residents, many of whom shared visual evidence on social media showing brown sludge in the sea. A message posted in a Facebook group called ShitAhoy, established to raise awareness of coastal pollution in Cornwall, noted: "Footage from the bay this morning shows raw sewage, clear signs of waste, plus the not-so-obvious sanitary products floating around. Given no alert was issued, it appears owing to tides and currents the waste from earlier events this week, has now reached St Ives."

This incident adds to ongoing environmental concerns around the discharge of sewage into UK coastal waters, a subject that has drawn protests and campaign efforts nationwide. Residents’ accounts and the presence of visible pollution underscore continued challenges in managing waste water in coastal communities, particularly during periods of adverse weather.

Source: Noah Wire Services