Can you swim at St Bees?

Caution. Sewage discharge 8.7km away yesterday. St Bees 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 St Bees?

St Bees is rated Good in the regulator's latest annual classification, a percentile taken over readings from up to four bathing seasons. The most recent sample, taken 17 August 2026, showed 18 cfu/100ml of E. coli and 27 cfu/100ml of intestinal enterococci.

Has there been sewage at St Bees recently?

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

← All bathing waters

England · Cumberland

Wednesday 2 September

St Bees

Caution. Sewage discharge 8.7km away yesterday.

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 03:24 UK time

Why this verdict

Discharge nearby: 8.7km yesterday (negative factor)
Annual classification: Good (positive factor)
Pollution risk forecast: Normal (positive factor)
Rainfall (24h): 1mm (positive factor)
Latest E. coli: 18 cfu/100ml (positive factor)
Latest intestinal enterococci: 27 cfu/100ml (positive factor)

Recent sewage discharges nearby

Storm overflows operated by United Utilities Water Limited within ten kilometres in the last 48 hours.

Ended yesterday

UUP01523 · into Irish Sea

8.7km from the bathing water

See every spill happening now across the UK →

Latest bacteria reading

Latest sample · 17 August 2026 · 2 weeks ago

E. coli: 18cfu/100ml
Intestinal enterococci: 27cfu/100ml

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

Sewage spills, 2021 to 2025

The Environment Agency links 13 storm overflows to St Bees. In 2025 they discharged 315 times.

Counted spills a year at the overflows feeding this bathing water.

169

2021

2022

131

2023

164

2024

315

2025

Up 86% since 2021, from 169 spills to 315.

Counting every monitored overflow within ten kilometres instead, whether or not it drains here, gives 1,141 spills across 33 overflows in 2025.

Common questions

Can you swim at St Bees?: Caution. Sewage discharge 8.7km away yesterday. St Bees 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 St Bees?: St Bees is rated Good in the regulator's latest annual classification, a percentile taken over readings from up to four bathing seasons. The most recent sample, taken 17 August 2026, showed 18 cfu/100ml of E. coli and 27 cfu/100ml of intestinal enterococci.
Has there been sewage at St Bees recently?: Yes. 1 storm overflow within ten kilometres of St Bees: 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 Seascale Cumberland Rated Poor Derwent Water at Crow Park Cumberland Rated Good Allonby Cumberland Rated Excellent Silecroft Cumberland

Cleanest beaches in Cumberland →

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Gareth Clubb