Skip to content

'We shouldn't be worried the water will make us ill'

Kirk EnglandEnvironment and tourism correspondent, South West
News imageBBC A woman in a blue wetsuit stands on Summerleaze Beach in Bude, Cornwall. She is holding a blue surfboard under her arm. BBC
Surfer Deborah Cadby, from Bude in Cornwall, has called for more action to cut sewage spills

Surfers and beachgoers have expressed rising frustration at the level of pollution in waterways around the south-west of England.

South West Water said it had "reduced spills by 17% in the last year and the duration of storm overflow usage had been cut by 25%".

But campaigners are calling for more to be done to reduce discharges. "It makes me really angry," said surfer Deborah Cadby from Bude, Cornwall. "The water should be clean, so we don't have to worry about getting ill. It's not good enough."

Official data released by the Environment Agency showed the overall duration of spills increased in 2024. The statistics for 2025 are due to be released by the agency later.

Earlier this month, South West Water admitted illegally spilling sewage at sites across Devon and Cornwall over a period of six years.

News imageA woman in a blue waterproof coat stands on the beach in Exmouth, Devon. There are two people in the sea behind her. You can see a stretch of sand. The sky is cloudy.
Clean water campaigner Jo Bateman from Exmouth is taking legal action against South West Water over pollution

Jo Bateman from Exmouth is taking legal action against South West Water over pollution in the sea.

"I don't see it getting any better," she said. "It just goes on and on, getting worse and worse, with people get angrier and angrier".

There is also a group legal action underway against SWW with lawyers claiming South West Water's failings are "wide and entrenched in many coastal towns across the Devon and Cornwall region".

News imageA man in a green waterproof jacket stands by the River Lew at Hatherleigh
Richard Burrow from Hatherleigh, Devon, is calling for action to reduce sewage discharges into the River Lew

Richard Burrow, from Hatherleigh in Devon, said he was "shocked and horrified" by the number of spills into the River Lew, which runs through the west Devon town.

Burrow claimed the discharges were "obviously a result of a lack of investment in the sewage treatment infrastructure".

South West Water said it had completed a tank upgrade at Hatherleigh's Sewage Treatment Works in 2023 and carried out work to line 350m of sewer in 2024.

The new chief executive officer of South West Water and the Pennon Group is expected to start on 1 April.

Richard Price, managing director of waste water services at South West Water, said the firm had continued to reduce storm overflow use despite south-west England experiencing 62% more rainfall than the rest of England in 2025.

"Against that backdrop, we have reduced spills by 17% in the last year and spill duration is down by 25%," he said.

He said the company had a "clear focus" of prioritising beaches during the bathing season and targeting the highest spilling sites.

"We have reduced by 50% the number of sites that spill more than 100 times per year, and our top five spilling sites have reduced spills by 50% following targeted interventions," he added.

"Since last year, more than 8,300 spills have been prevented as a direct result of investment and operational improvements.

"This forms part of our 15-year plan, backed by around £760m of investment to 2030."

Follow BBC Cornwall on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@bbc.co.uk.