Sewage spill sparks second ‘do not swim’ warning on Exmouth beach in a week 

A second 'do not swim' notice in a week was issued at Exmouth beach over the weekend.

People were told to stay out of the sea due to a burst sewage pipe from Maer Road pumping station at Maer Lane. 

It is the second time in a week bathers have been told not to enter the water at the popular Devon beach due to the spill.

South West Water said it used tankers to transfer sewage flowing into the treatment works to reduce the spill while it worked on fixing it.

The firm apologised to its customers as well as visitors to the popular tourist beach.

A spokesperson confirmed said a "temporary fix" was put in place on Sunday 18 August

"Our teams have been working around the clock in Exmouth to repair the burst pipe from Maer Road pumping station at Maer Lane," they said.

"We are pleased to say that we have now completed the temporary fix, and the pipe is up and running, and we can now begin planning the permanent repair.

"However, tankers will remain on site as a precaution. We would like to thank residents and visitors for their patience, and we are sorry for the disruption caused throughout this event.”

It comes after East Devon District Council voted to say it had no confidence in South West Water in February.

Its leader Paul Arnott described this spill as being a "historic new low" for the water firm, saying it is impacting not only residents but tens of thousands of tourists.

He added: “As a council, we are meeting South West Water following the vote of no confidence and the ongoing issues with the company. But I urge them to think about their actions and agree a way forward to ensure this does not happen again.

“We will continue to monitor the situation and will hold South West Water to account.”