North Devon sewage spills deterred swimmer from taking a dip

Margaret Fisher took up wild swimming two years ago and used to take a dip in the sea whenever she could.

But the 74-year-old north Devon resident said that was now in the past as concerns about water quality had deterred her from getting in this winter.

Her concerns were among those raised at a special meeting of North Devon Council.

The council said the meeting, which was attended by about 100 residents, was called to address "ongoing public concerns" about water quality.

Organisations including South West Water (SWW), the Environment Agency (EA), the National Farmers Union and Surfers Against Sewage answered questions from local people.

Ahead of the meeting, SWW said reducing storm overflows, which are used to relieve pressure on the network, was a "top priority".

However, Ms Fisher said the number of discharges into waterways had left her questioning "the state of the sea".

"I was going in on a regular basis," she said.

"Now, I walk on the beach and I enjoy the beach, but I wouldn't go in and I really miss it.

"It was really good for my mental wellbeing. You come out feeling completely different."

Kirk England, BBC South West environment correspondent

It was standing room only at the public meeting. There was applause when the issue of year-round bathing water testing was mentioned.

At the moment, testing is only carried out by the Environment Agency during the bathing water season, based on guidelines produced by the World Health Organization.

"Seas full of filth," was one description used by a regular wild swimmer, to another round of applause from the audience.

The representative from SWW explained how the company was targeting just two or three spills in bathing waters in the area by 2040, but another member of the public asked: "When will they stop all together?"

Other issues discussed included the impact on marine life of storm overflows and spills into rivers.

Some seemed swayed by the answers given, others frustrated. One told me they were glad to have been able to have their views heard.

The latest data on sewage spills - for 2023 - is expected in April.

Lyn Strahan, a surfer and keen swimmer from Croyde, questioned the frequency of storm overflows.

"I love the ocean and I love wildlife," she said.

"I just think how dare we be putting our waste into the ocean?

"It ruins water quality for wildlife, for people that swim, that surf, and we risk the reputation of our area as a tourism destination."

In 2023, the north Devon coast was officially designated a World Surfing Reserve.

Kevin Cook, co-founder of the reserve, said its status was something "we can't throw away".

"Whether you're on a stand-up surf board or jumping around in the waves, that experience of being at one with nature is something so special," he said.

"We must look after what we've got and it starts with the water quality."

The latest EA data showed there were more than 37,000 monitored sewage spills in the SWW area in 2022.

Selaine Saxby, the Conservative MP for North Devon, said the beaches in the area were "cleaner than they have been in many years".

She said: "We should not let an abundance of sometimes conflicting information damage our reputation as a tourism destination, the home of the only cold water surfing reserve and a Unesco Biosphere Reserve.

"I fear that some politically motivated activists are far too comfortable in talking down our beaches for their own ends."

SWW said: "We want our customers to know that reducing storm overflows is our top priority.

"We are investing £850m in our capital programme in 2023-25 and this includes reducing overflows at more than 150 bathing and shellfish waters.

"Almost all bathing waters in the South West have a 'good' or 'excellent' water quality status, which is determined by the Environment Agency, and we now have 100% monitoring to help us target our investment where it is most needed."

The EA said it was working with water companies, including SWW, to reduce the number of storm overflows that occur.

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