Group expands legal claim over South West Water sewage pollution

"When the sea is clear, and you can see your feet, the sun is on your back and you hear the gulls, it is free magic. But more often I take friends into the water and we see sanitary products floating past, the plastic from tampons, actual effluent and the foam from effluent. It is getting worse."

"In 2024 South West Water discharged 544,429 hours of raw sewage into seas and coastal waters, including an overflow at Salcombe Regis that discharged for almost the whole year making it the longest sewage release duration across all the storm overflow sites in England and Wales."

"Last July Ofwat issued a 24m enforcement penalty against South West Water identifying systemic failings in the way it maintained and operated its wastewater treatment works and sewer networks dating back to at least 2017."

A community group legal action against South West Water has expanded beyond Exmouth to include residents and businesses across Dawlish, Sidmouth, Teignmouth, Newquay, and Penzance. The claim alleges that South West Water's failings in managing sewage pollution are systemic and widespread across multiple coastal towns in Devon and Cornwall, rather than isolated incidents. In 2024, South West Water discharged raw sewage for over 544,000 hours into coastal waters, with one overflow at Salcombe Regis operating for nearly the entire year. Ofwat previously issued a £24 million enforcement penalty against the company for systemic failures in maintaining wastewater treatment works and sewer networks dating back to 2017. Campaigners report visible pollution including sanitary products, plastic, and effluent foam in coastal waters.

Read at www.theguardian.com