Calls have been made for urgent action by South West Water to address issues at one of its treatment works in Plymouth after people were advised not to swim in bathing waters on the Hoe because of sewage discharges.
The Environment Agency (EA) found operational issues at South West Water’s wastewater treatment plant at Cattedown during an inspection yesterday (October 1) following reports of pollution.
It has issued advice to swimmers against bathing at Plymouth Hoe East and West after identifying “an unpermitted discharge of sewerage from storm overflow”.
Plymouth and Sutton Devonport MP Luke Pollard has called it “a dramatic failure of South West Water to protect our water quality” and has asked “for urgent answers and a clear plan to put this right”.
An Environment Agency spokesperson said: “In response to reports of pollution, our officers inspected South West Water’s Plymouth Central Waste Water Treatment Works on October 1.”
“Our officers identified operational issues on site, including what we consider to be an unpermitted discharge of sewerage from storm overflow.”
“In light of this sewage discharge, we issued advice against bathing at Plymouth Hoe East and West.”
“South West Water must address these issues as a matter of urgency. We will keep this matter under investigation.”
Mr Pollard said he was “appalled” by what had been found.
“This is a dramatic failure of South West Water to protect our water quality. I have asked South West Water for urgent answers and a clear plan to put this right. I love swimming in the Sound but we should all take note of this serious warning.
“South West Water should be in no doubt that the Government is serious about ending the sewage crisis and if they can’t do it, then we will look at the new steps the Prime Minister announced only a few days ago to force them to do what is right.”
Leader of Plymouth City Council Tudor Evans (Lab, Ham): “That people are being advised not to swim in water they go in every day in our city is simply beyond belief.
“It’s time SWW shareholders called for action alongside politicians and the public. They’ve lived high on the hog off the company’s poor performance and inadequate investment plans. It’s time to put us and the environment ahead of their dividends.”
South West Water said: “We are aware that the Environment Agency has issued advice against bathing at Plymouth Hoe East and West. We take these reports seriously and are investigating the situation while working closely with the Environment Agency.”
Earlier this week the water company was fined almost £8 million after pleading guilty to a catalogue of pollution-related charges spanning six years across Devon and Cornwall.
The water company admitted to 17 illegal discharges, involving more than 500 separate sewage discharge incidents, at five locations across the two counties, as well as one count of failing to take reasonable action after a failure at a sewage pumping station.
Last year Plymouth Hoe East which includes Tinside Beach was the most polluted bathing area in England and Wales, by duration of sewage overflows, after data tracking by campaign group Top of the Poops.
There have also been decades of complaints about odours coming from wastewater plants in Plympton, Cattedown and Ernesettle, giving rise to the names Plympton Pong and Ernesettle Pong.
Plymouth City Council have agreed to hold South West Water to account over its odour control, sewage discharges, water infrastructure resilience, rising customer bills and future investment plans for the city.
One swimmer commenting on Mr Pollard’s Facebook page said: “Appalled but not surprised- I can taste the water quality issue that gets worse as you swim east from Tinside. Ironically, swimming feels like the healthiest part of my day for mental and physical wellbeing .”