South West Water apologises for Exmouth Beach

South West Water has apologised on their website after issuing a "Do not swim" warning at Exmouth Beach following a burst sewage pipe.

Because of the pollution risk, South West Water temporarily closed Maer Lane as a safety precaution.

In response to the incident in Exmouth, Councillor Paul Arnott, East Devon District Council's leader, said: “Our officers and the Environment Agency attended the site as soon as the spill was reported and took direct action to advise residents and visitors not to bathe in the water. I thank them for their rapid response. Due to the severity of the spill, today we have had to 'red flag' bathing until we are satisfied that any sewage has dispersed. We are also closely monitoring the impact on one of our car parks.

“As a council, we are meeting South West Water following the vote of no confidence and the ongoing issues with the company. But I urge them to think about their actions and agree on a way forward to ensure this does not happen again."

South West Water have now released this update: “Our teams have been working around the clock to repair the burst pipe from Maer Road pumping station at Maer Lane. 

“We are pleased to say that we have now completed the temporary fix, and the pipe is up and running, and we can now begin planning the permanent repair. 

“We are very sorry this has happened and understand that the spills from the Maer Road pumping station have caused concern for customers and visitors to the region.”

For the latest information on the status of our overflows, please visit WaterFit Live.