South West Water: Woman suing UK water firm to head to Downing Street to hand over 'right to swim' petition as 'fight continues'

Jo, who lives in Exmouth, has set up a ‘right to swim’ petition and next week she will be heading to Downing Street to “deliver the petition in person”. The ‘right to swim’ petition is calling on the government to enforce stricter penalties and fines for all water company offences, no more bonuses for water company executives and prioritise urgent action for a cleaner and safer swimming environment for everyone.

The petition comes after Jo took legal action against South West Water who drove a fleet of lorries full of untreated sewage to a pumping station that was already spilling sewage into the sea, making it unsafe to swim off the beach at Exmouth. Jo says she loves to swim in the sea due to the benefits to her mental and physical wellbeing, but she has often been unable to due to sewage dumping by the water firm.

She said: “My daily dip is essential for my wellbeing, so when I can’t get in the water it takes a serious toll on my mental health. But there are some days when I can’t swim at all. Why? Sewage.

“As I’m writing this now – at the height of the summer holiday season – the beach is shut for swimming because of pollution from sewage. And this happens so often I have to check my phone all the time for alerts from Surfers Against Sewage.”

She added: “I’ve watched friends get sick from swimming in contaminated water and seen how it affects fish and seagrass – all while water company executives line their pockets. I can only dream of a time when I can just go for a swim without putting my health at risk. But if we carry on this fight, together we can make that dream a reality and we can all enjoy our right to swim.”

Her journey to Downing Street comes as locals in Exmouth fume at the “immeasurable damage” to Exmouth town following sewage spills. Geoff Crawford, a local resident in Exmouth who runs the ESCAPE (End Sewage Convoys And Pollution Exmouth) Facebook page, posted on Facebook that there is “now few people swimming each morning” at Exmouth beach, adding “shame on South West Water for the implications of their decision to not replace the rising main and thinking purely financially.” 

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 prompted 'do not bathe' warnings from the local council and the Environment Agency (EA).

Local businesses in Exmouth also told NationalWorld how they have been “hugely impacted” by sewage spills. Derek Johnson, who runs the Exmouth SUP & Paddle Group, said the “current issues with discharge into the seas has had a huge impact on our group members” as “the current state of our sea water is simply disgusting”. He said he has noticed how instead of checking the weather, many will now check whether the water is safe to swim in before joining the group’s local events.

South West Water said: “We understand and appreciate the concerns of our customers in light of the recent bursts in the area. We are doing everything we can to protect the environment and are making good progress as we work around the clock to complete this complex permanent fix in Exmouth.

“We are investing around £38 million in the Exmouth area up to 2030. This includes upgrading our pumping stations and treatment works to significantly reduce the number of spills and further protect the environment.”