Devon lifeguards yell for individuals to remain away after sewage pipe bursts
Holidaymakers at a Devon beach have been urged by lifeguards not to swim in the water – as a nearby sewage pipe has burst.
An urgent ‘don’t swim’ alert was issued at Exmouth beach in Devon, after the Maer Road pumping station first reported a problem with one of their water pipes on Wednesday.
Yellow signs were placed along the two-mile beach on Sunday and lifeguards resorted to using loudspeakers to beg people not to swim in the sea – at the height of the summer holiday.
Both South West Water and East Devon District Council have been blasted by local residents who are disgusted by the ‘raw sewage running down Maer Lane’ and ‘the dead fish on the tide line’.
Tammy Palmer posted: ‘This is completely unacceptable. It’s been going on for days. It will be seriously impacting local trade and both locals and holiday makers who enjoy the beach at Exmouth.’
A ‘no swim’ order has been issued at Exmouth Beach (pictured) due to a burst water pipe
Yellow signs were placed along Exmouth beach on Sunday and lifeguards resorted to using loudspeakers to beg people not to swim in the sea
She added: ‘How many more of these incidents should we have to accept from you?’
Yesterday one unsuspecting tourist said she let her six-year-old go swimming at Exmouth Beach as there were ‘no signs and no warning’.
In a heated post on X, she wrote: ‘I would NEVER have done so had I known about the leak… locals must have thought us fools.’
Another woman, who was visiting from London on Sunday, told Sky News: ‘Look at the beach today, it’s ridiculous. The middle of August and there’s hardly anyone here.
‘I think it’s really sad for the tourist trade, for the town, and for the people coming down for holiday.’
David Reed, Tory MP for Exmouth & Exeter East, agreed it was ‘extremely depressing’ to see ‘Exmouth beach with so few people enjoying it on a beautiful August day’.
Mr Reed vowed to meet with the CEO of South West Water ‘to bring forward structural engineering funds, and to get on with the job of upgrading their sewage network’.
The newly elected politician also promised to work with activist groups, businesses and local councillors ‘to start rebuilding trust’.
He said: ‘Now is the time for action, not words.
‘I have campaigned extensively to have SWW clean up our water, and now that I am elected I will be doing all I can to make this happen.’
South West Water confirmed a temporary fix had been completed on Sunday and that tankers would remain onsite as a precaution.
In a statement, the water firm said: ‘We would like to thank residents and visitors for their patience, and we are sorry for the disruption caused throughout this event.’
‘We continue to update the Environment Agency so that they can take the appropriate steps to protect the environment and public health.’
But Exmouth resident Keith Thompson was not impressed.
A police car is parked near Exmouth Beach as tourists are urged by lifeguards with loud speakers not to swim in the sea
Red flags were placed along the two-mile beach to warn prospective bathers
People walk along the promenade in Exmouth during the summer holidays
An aerial view of Exmouth Beach – which has been closed due to a ‘pollution incident’
Mr Thompson said in a Facebook post: ‘Somehow, SWW have got to be made to realise that discharging raw sewage into the sea when there has been no rainfall is simply not good enough.
‘Even if it is legal, they are not looking after a community that relies so heavily on tourism.’
In a post on X, East Devon District Council urged tourists to ‘maybe visit the Big Wheel’ instead of going for a paddle.
Councillor Geoff Jung, East Devon District Council’s portfolio holder for Coast, Country and Environment said: ‘We are totally dismayed by the continuing failures of the Exmouth sewage infrastructure, and we will be demanding urgent discussions with South West Water to provide a permanent and reliable solution.
‘These constant breaches are totally unacceptable.’
