People urged not to swim at popular Devon beach following sewage leak
A 'don't swim' alert has been issued by
Last updated 18th Aug 2024
People are being urged not to swim at a popular Devon beach after a nearby pumping station's pipe burst.
A "don't swim" alert has been issued for Exmouth beach after the pipe malfunction, causing sewage to spill into the harbour and onto the beach itself.
The warning comes at the peak of the holiday season, when the town benefits from domestic and international tourism.
Individual warnings have been issued by both the Environment Agency and the local council, asking people to avoid swimming in the area if possible.
The incident was first reported on Wednesday (August 14th), with South West Water - responsible for the Maer Road pumping station - saying it was "very sorry" and insisting it has engineers working "round the clock" to fix the problem.
Tankers were also moving the sewage away from the beach, with an overland piper being temporarily installed to fix the issue in the short term, according to South West Water.
However, the business said: "We haven't been able to keep up with the levels of flows in the network and there have been spills from the overflow."
The statement, which was posted on Twitter, added: "We are very sorry this has happened and understand that this will cause concern for customers and visitors to the region."
But the industry says Victorian-age infrastructure needs updating, with regulator Ofwat last month announcing average bill rises in England and Wales of 94-pounds over five years.
It was also recently revealed that three water companies are facing a combined fine of 168-million pounds for failings, including over sewage treatment.