Falmouth's beach at Gyllyngvase has enjoyed Good bathing water for many years now.
But we know that sometimes the sewer system is struggling to cope. Our investigations tell us that this is for a number of reasons including population growth in the area, groundwater entering the sewers, and the age of some of our assets.
We're on a mission to reduce the impact the town's sewerage system is having on the environment, including in the estuary waters.
The Queen Mary Gardens Programme forms a key part of South West Water’s wider Falmouth Stormwater Overflow Improvement Scheme. This initiative aims to reduce the environmental impact of storm overflows in Falmouth by tackling infiltration, increasing stormwater storage, separating surface and foul water flows, and upgrading treatment capacity.
This scheme is part of South West Water’s ambitious Turning the Tide programme that will invest record amounts to target storm overflows throughout the region.
We’re building a new stormwater tank in Queen Mary Gardens that will hold 302,000 litres of water. This will mean more wastewater can be stored at times of heavy rainfall then treated, reducing our reliance on storm overflows in Falmouth.
The tank will be installed via the Queen Mary Gardens/Gyllyngvase car park, with all flows screened before entering. These screens are also being upgraded.
Date | Activity |
---|---|
Monday 6 October | Start on site |
April 2026 | Planned completion and reinstatement |