Repeated sewage discharges sparked “no swim” alerts at Exmouth’s popular beach during the August bank holiday weekend last year.
While the water company claimed the issue had been solved after installing a temporary overland pipe, no-swim notices were imposed on two further occasions during August, including over the key bank holiday trading weekend.
Exmouth residents joined together to launch collective action against the company in October, seeking compensation for the environmental damage and business costs they incurred as a result of the water pollution and closed beaches.
She told The i Paper that the sewage discharges last summer marked a “crisis moment” for the town.
“It became national news and suddenly the tourists just left and the car parks were empty. It was a crisis moment for a town that needs its tourist economy to survive.
Nicky Nicholls, of beachside retail and leisure hub Sideshore (Photo: supplied)
“We have amazing people here who have tried to have conversations with South West Water and nothing has ever come to anything.
Ms Nicholls added that “just shy of a thousand people have signed up” to the case, with residents from Exmouth, Budleigh Salterton, Lympstone and Woodbury being called on to join.
He told The i Paper that Exmouth “absolutely relies on the sea to attract the tourists”, adding: “If you take the beach away, you’ve floored us.”
Edward John Morgan has had to cancel classes because of sewage pollution in ExmouthSouth West Water has said that it is “serious about tackling storm overflows and change of this scale takes time, ambition, and increased investment”.
The case launched by Exmouth residents against the water company is grounded in a landmark Supreme Court judgement which found that a private nuisance claim can be used against water companies over sewage spills.
Six water firms sued for £500m after 'underreporting sewage spills'
Read MoreThe decision opened the door for local communities to hold sewage companies to account over sewage pollution.
Water companies will be required to publish near real-time information from storm overflow monitors within an hour of each sewage discharge.
The Bill will also enabled the Environment Agency (EA) to impose “severe penalties more quickly, without having to direct significant resources to lengthy investigations”, for offences related to pollution.
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