South West Water says modelling data for new sewage outlet will be ready soon - as campaigners voice frustration with delays
As temperatures could pass 20 degrees in some parts of the county today - campaigners warn that bureaucracy is stopping sewage being diverted away from a beach
With the start of the new bathing season just weeks away, campaigners are writing to both South West Water and the Environment Agency to highlight frustrations with years of delays which now prevent the use of upgraded infrastructure.
It follows a third successive letter from The Environment Agency to the water firm requesting 'modelling data' on whether the use of a new storm overflow pipe at Sandy Bay will impact the nationally significant Lyme Bay mussel beds.
The EA says it's been told the results will finally be issued by May 29, and then a six-week public consultation can begin - four years after the upgrade work began in Exmouth.
The campaign group Escape says it is frustrated that sewage is not being reduced 'just moved elsewhere' and a long-term plan to upgrade South West Water's Maer Lane sewage treatment works is still not finalised despite a target of work being completed by Summer 2029.
At the moment sewage is discharged via a storm overflow near to Exmouth beach's RNLI lifeboat station - which has sparked a first-of-its-kind legal challenge against the water firm with businesses and residents arguing the closure of the beach due to pollution has impacted tourism. This Summer a water summit will also take place to ask if Devon would consider creating its own not-for-profit locally-owned water firm.
Andy Tyerman, a co-founder of the Escape campaign, said: "There's no new questions in here.
“The original intention was to move the storm overflows out of the estuary and up to the treatment works and at that stage, back in 2022, the question should have been asked 'and what will the impact on the receiving water be’ - as the designation was made on the shellfish beds in 2022.
“The question could have been asked and the modelling done then, instead of this ridiculous situation we've got now where we seem to go one from one question, to another question to another question, and it's just taking more and more time."
Mr Tyerman's planned letter to the two organisations - which he says should also be a wake up call for the water minister – will also point out: "This year we have experienced one of the wettest January’s on record when, across the South West region, storm overflows discharged for more than 138,000 hours.
"In Exmouth the Maer Road storm overflow alone discharged for over 288 hours (the equivalent of more than 12 days). When the permit is accepted this overflow is the one that will see the greatest reductions, but we are delayed by a failure of communications between yourselves."
It will add: "We raised concerns in 2024 about the likelihood and risk of delay and the fact that a second stage, to increase treatment capacity, had no fixed timeline.”
Speaking to Greatest Hits Radio he said: "This is only the end of the first stage. There's not a single drop of additional sewage that is going to be treated until the treatment works gets upgraded in the next period up to 2030 - and the land hasn't been purchased, permissions have not been sought, and the money is not clear. Getting it done by 2030 is going to be an enormous task."
Mr Tyerman has called the 'whole situation ridiculous', adding: "We've been saying this since we heard about the plans in February 2024 and said 'you are just moving spills around'.
"People are frustrated.” He added.
“If you think about it, the question is 'why didn't you start off at the other end'?
“Why not upgrade the treatment works and the pipe and then work backwards into the town? You then upgraded the pump capacity so there would be no additional spills."
In an open letter on April 2, The Environment Agency said: "We know this delay is frustrating. We feel it too. But it’s essential that we get this right. These waters matter — for wildlife, for local livelihoods, and for the quality of Exmouth’s bathing waters. We need the full picture before we make decisions that protect them."
It added: "On 24 March we asked South West Water to share the results of their modelling. We need this work to understand how the proposed outfall could affect the shellfish waters at Sandy Bay and Lyme Bay.
"South West Water has confirmed that the modelling is now underway and that they will send us the results by 29 May. We can’t open the consultation on their permit application until we have all the evidence we need to judge it properly. This means the consultation will begin after we receive the modelling results."
WHAT HAS SOUTH WEST WATER SAID?
A spokesperson said: "“We understand the frustration about the delay and share the importance people place on protecting these waters.
"We are working with the Environment Agency to complete detailed modelling to fully assess any potential impact and to choose the right treatment upgrade on Sandy Bay and Lyme Bay shellfish waters.
"These results will be submitted by the end of May.
"Survey works are also ongoing and we are putting together documentation for screening opinion from Devon County Council.
"This evidence is essential so the right decisions can be made to protect the marine environment, and we thank residents for their patience.”
South West Water's plans for Exmouth can be found here which state: "Our goal is to reduce storm overflow spills to improve water quality, targeting a maximum of ten spills per year per overflow by 2030, with only two spills at designated bathing waters during the bathing season."
South West Water recently showed us around a separate site in Sidmouth, which is being upgraded