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":[]}