Exmouth beach: People fall ill after 'walking dog' and 'swimming in sea' at beach in Devon hit by major sewage spill

A user posted on ESCAPE group Facebook page (End Sewage Convoys And Pollution Exmouth) yesterday (Monday 19 August) that his “two daughters have gastrointestinal issues since walking the dog at the Octagon area of the beach”. He said: “One on Friday (16 August) but was ill Saturday (17 August), so my other daughter took the dog on Saturday and is now also ill”.

He added: “South West Water are unable to talk to me about it, but assure me they are doing all they can? Meanwhile we are waiting for test results from the hospital so they know how to treat the girls”. On the post another user questioned how the daughters became ill if they did not swim in the sea.

The original user replied: “Throwing a stick in the sea for the dog, possibly. Doctors are unsure but say it is most likely the cause. Not good now but hopefully will bounce back soon now they are getting medical attention”.

Another user commented on the post saying the daughters may have got ill due to “cross contamination if they touched the sand”. The user added: “Shells etc and then put their fingers in their mouths unwittingly. When the tide comes in it almost covers the beach so the bacteria will be left behind on the sand”.

The original user said that there had been “no signs” to advise against going on the beach at the time to which another local resident replied as being “ridiculous”. Another comment on Facebook from a user said that their friend went in the sea yesterday “and was physically sick three times in the night”.

A sewer pipe burst at Maer Road pumping station on Wednesday 14 August which caused raw waste to leak into the sea just off Exmouth. The incident had prompted 'do not bathe' warnings from the local council and the Environment Agency (EA).

South West Water said a temporary pipe has been put in place and work is set to begin on a permanent repair. It added that tankers will remain at the Maer Road site as a precaution while this work is completed.

On the ESCAPE Facebook page, founder and local resident Geoff Crawford, said that the beach’s Blue Flag is “still down” today (Tuesday 20 August) and the beach is “nearly deserted” despite it being “such a lovely day”. A user commented on his post saying: “Such a shame. It’s peak season and South West Water have ruined the holiday industry in Exmouth this year. Perhaps forever.”

South West Water said that there are a number of reasons that may cause sickness and it is not just a simple case of it being to do with its operations. For example, the water firm said agricultural runoff, animal faeces and swallowing too much sea water can be causes of sickness.