A POPULAR Devon beach closed after pollution made it “unable to swim in.”

Exmouth Beach closed due to a "pollution leak" yesterday after being unable to be dealt with.

Back on 19 August, it was confirmed that after Exmouth Beach was closed for the weekend (17 and 18 August), South West Water had dealt with a burst pipe on private land near wastewater treatment works in Maer Lane.

South West Water released a statement after assessing the situation: "We would like to thank residents and visitors for their patience, and we are sorry for the disruption caused throughout this event."

The week before that Exmouth residents were warned to avoid the sea with a strict “no swim” sign in place after the major sewer spill occurred.

Now on 31 August, red flags were put up to officially confirm no swimming in the sea with the East Devon District Council confirming this in a statement via social media.

A red flag at a beach indicates that there are dangerous conditions in the water, such as strong surf or dangerous currents. It's generally recommended to stay out of the water when a red flag is flying.

Anger over water companies has grown as bills rise despite a doubling in sewage discharges in recent years and other problems with supply and leaks.

In May, South West Water - which announced increased profits this year - again apologised after at least 50 people caught a waterborne disease that causes diarrhoea and vomiting.

Three water companies are also facing a combined fine of £168m after a series of failings, including over sewage treatment.

South West Water has announced that the problem has now been dealt with and that The Environment Agency has lifted its advice against bathing on Exmouth Beach.

A representative for South West Water said: "The Environment Agency has lifted its advice against bathing on Exmouth Beach as of 2.05pm today.

"Yesterday we confirmed that there was a small spill from the temporary works we have in place at Exmouth as we work hard to complete a permanent fix.

"This was due to human error for which we are very sorry.

"We immediately put new processes in place to make sure this doesn't happen again.”

The local people aren't happy with the water firm or the East Devon District Council.

Not having a prime tourism destination like Exmouth Beach available is detrimental to local businesses in the area.

One user online said: “Somehow, SWW (South West Water) have got to be made to realise that discharging raw sewage into the sea when there has been no rainfall is simply not good enough.

“Even if it is legal, they are not looking after a community that relies so heavily on tourism."

Another user commented: “So SWW has single-handedly destroyed summer 2024, is that what you’re saying?”

“Compensation?”