Exmouth and Exeter East Member of Parliament David Reed says that the burst sewage pipe in Mear Lane yesterday evening (August 14) is 'unacceptable.'

Tankers are being used to transport sewage away from the pumping station. The road is closed and SWW are working to replace and temporarily fix the burst.

The situation is currently ongoing, but local stakeholders for South West Water, East Devon District Council and MP for Exmouth and Exeter East David Reed have been informed. Read more: Exmouth's Maer Lane closed due to sewage pipe burst

In a post on X (formerly Twitter this morning, he shares his disappointment in South West Water for the burst sewage pipe. He says another month, another burst pipe' but has been assured by SWW that they are working at 'pace' on resolving the issues. 

His post went onto say that he will be meeting with representatives to urge them to bring forward funds to upgrade the network, to ensure this does not happen again.

Read his full post on Twitter

“Another month, another burst pipe- more disruption to local people, businesses and tourists.” These words are tiresome now.

South West Water, why have you allowed your network to get into this dire state? Any trust the public had in you is rapidly evaporating.

Upgrade your… pic.twitter.com/NoNI05ZFrp

The burst was first reported on Wednesday (August 14) at around 5.30pm on a private field next to the Maer Lane pumping station, owned by South West Water. 

East Devon District Council warned people yesterday evening not to swim in the sea after an ongoing pollution incident in Exmouth. They said: "We have been made aware at 1731 this afternoon of a pollution incident on private land next to the Maer Road pumping station in the Exmouth area. Bathing is currently not advised on Exmouth seafront. Further updates will be provided as they are received."

South West Water issued a statement on Wednesday evening that said: "Our teams are working hard to fix a burst sewer on private land next to Maer Road pumping station.

"We are using tankers to transport flows away from the burst location to Maer Lane treatment works to allow our teams to work on the damaged pipe.

"We will be installing an overland pipe overnight as a temporary solution until a permanent fix can be carried out. To ensure the safety of our teams and road users, we have temporarily closed Maer Lane and we would like to thank local residents and visitors for their patience.”