St Agnes 'sewage leak' was mud - South West Water
Footage of the sea turning brown went viral at the weekend
South West Water has confirmed a suspected sewage leak on the beach at St Agnes was actually mud.
The firm says say the discoloration of the water, which was shown in a video that went viral over the weekend, was down to muddy surface water flowing into the stream.
Here's the company's full statement:
"Our teams have been at St Agnes over the last two days to investigate the reports of discolouration in the Trevaunance Stream leading to the beach.
"Following our investigation, we can confirm that the discolouration of the water is being caused by flows of muddy surface water into the stream from the wider catchment, which is piped onto the beach, as has been seen on social media.
"The stream, above our storm overflows, was also brown in colour, as a result of mud being washed off nearby agricultural land, following the recent heavy rainfall.
"While there has been limited storm overflow activity in the area due to heavy rain our investigation is clear that the cause of the discolouration is muddy water in the stream, consisting of rainwater and agricultural run-off
"We have taken water quality samples on the day of the initial report and the following day at St Agnes, and the bathing water has met its normal, excellent quality."
Campaigners have criticised water companies for their response to incidents like the one in St Agnes, with Surfers Against Sewage calling the incident 'Shocking, sickening and shameful'.