A charity proposes to install a water fountain at Porth Beach in a bid to reduce ocean pollution.

Our Only Health, whose mission it is to restore ocean health, plans to erect a water refill station at the Porth Beach public toilets.

The charity has already installed 20 stations across Cornwall providing “free, fresh drinking water to the public, which it says has “huge benefits” to the local environment.

Our Only Health states installing a water refill station has the potential to save 20,000 plastic bottles a year from entering the environment.

The installation would come at no cost to Newquay Town Council, which operates the public toilets, but there would be ongoing maintenance costs and water charges.

The town council’s environment and facilities committee is due to discuss the proposal at its meeting on Tuesday, January 14.

A spokesperson for Our Only Health said: “Our Only World has obtained additional funding for another fountain at Porth Beach.

“The most logical place for the fountain to be placed is the Porth Beach toilets.

“Having reviewed the site Our Only World is confident, with funding from South West Water, the installation should come at no cost to the town council. As per the Killacourt, the cost would be the on-going maintenance of the unit and the additional water charges.

“For roughly 10,000 litres of water used it costs around £20 per annum as there is no sewerage which is where the bulk of the water charges are from.

“The water charges budget for Porth Toilet is looking to be underutilised with only an actual cost of £433 (April - November) from a £1,590 budget. For clarity there will still be sewerage charges for the toilet itself.

“There is an annual service required also at approximately £140 per annum.

“The first year will be covered with the installation. The maintenance budget for Porth Toilet is looking to be underutilised with only an actual cost of £528 (April – November) from a £1,000 budget.”

Our Only Health has launched the water refill station scheme after research showed 25-trillion macro and microplastics may now be floating in the open ocean, weighing up to 269,000 tonnes.

The research also states 100,000 marine mammals and turtles and one-million sea birds are killed by marine plastic pollution every year.

A spokesperson said: “The top section of our water refill station is made from recycled fishing nets collected off our beaches and we have a local supply chain here in the South West, to ensure we keep our carbon footprint down.

“We worked throughout COVID-19 with our local partners to launch the unique dolphin- shaped design which looks great at any seaside organisation.

“By installing a unit with Our Only World, the council will receive constant support and advice from our teams to guide them through the initial planning, to long-term maintenance.

“We currently have over 50 water refill stations installed nationwide, with eight in Eastborne, 20 in Essex, and more than 17 across Cornwall, as well as individual units in Torpoint and Weston-Super-Mare.”