Can you swim at Heacham?

Caution. Sewage discharge 5.8km away 16 hours ago. Heacham is a designated bathing water, so it is sampled and rated every season. This answer covers water quality only, not tides, currents or lifeguard cover.

What is the water quality like at Heacham?

Heacham is rated Sufficient in the regulator's latest annual classification, a percentile taken over readings from up to four bathing seasons. The most recent sample, taken 20 August 2026, showed 240 cfu/100ml of E. coli and 310 cfu/100ml of intestinal enterococci.

Has there been sewage at Heacham recently?

Yes. 1 storm overflow within ten kilometres of Heacham: 1 in the last 48 hours.

← All bathing waters

England · King's Lynn and West Norfolk

Wednesday 2 September

Heacham

Caution. Sewage discharge 5.8km away 16 hours ago.

Water quality only This says nothing about tides, rip currents, cold water shock or lifeguard cover. Cold water and currents are dangerous even when the water is clean. Read the local signs before you go in. What we cannot tell you.

Checked 03:25 UK time

Why this verdict

Discharge nearby: 5.8km 16 hours ago (negative factor)
Latest intestinal enterococci: 310 cfu/100ml (negative factor)
Annual classification: Sufficient (neutral factor)
Pollution risk forecast: Normal (positive factor)
Rainfall (24h): 0mm (positive factor)
Latest E. coli: 240 cfu/100ml (positive factor)

Recent sewage discharges nearby

Storm overflows operated by Anglian Water Services Limited within ten kilometres in the last 48 hours.

Ended 16 hours ago

AWS00629 · into A TRIBUTARY OF THE RIVER HUN

5.8km from the bathing water

See every spill happening now across the UK →

Latest bacteria reading

Latest sample · 20 August 2026 · 12 days ago

E. coli: 240cfu/100ml
Intestinal enterococci: 310cfu/100ml

The regulator samples weekly during the bathing season. E. coli and intestinal enterococci are the indicator organisms used in the official classification.

Storm overflows nearby

The Environment Agency does not link any storm overflow directly to Heacham, so there is no spill record for it. There were 6 monitored overflows within ten kilometres in 2025, whether or not they drain here.

Common questions

Can you swim at Heacham?: Caution. Sewage discharge 5.8km away 16 hours ago. Heacham is a designated bathing water, so it is sampled and rated every season. This answer covers water quality only, not tides, currents or lifeguard cover.
What is the water quality like at Heacham?: Heacham is rated Sufficient in the regulator's latest annual classification, a percentile taken over readings from up to four bathing seasons. The most recent sample, taken 20 August 2026, showed 240 cfu/100ml of E. coli and 310 cfu/100ml of intestinal enterococci.
Has there been sewage at Heacham recently?: Yes. 1 storm overflow within ten kilometres of Heacham: 1 in the last 48 hours.

Where this data comes from

Contains water-company storm overflow data, licensed under OGL v3
Spill counts from the Environment Agency EDM Storm Overflow Annual Returns, 2021 to 2025, published annually.
View the regulator's full profile

Other beaches nearby

Rated Good Hunstanton Main Beach King's Lynn and West Norfolk Rated Good Hunstanton (Old Hunstanton) King's Lynn and West Norfolk Rated Excellent Wells North Norfolk Rated Excellent Skegness East Lindsey

Cleanest beaches in England →

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Gareth Clubb