Water company to explain Torbay sewage alerts

A meeting will be held next week

South West Water’s track record on sewage pollution in Torbay is to come under the spotlight at a special meeting of the bay’s council.

The demand for a SWW official to appear before the council to explain sewage issues came after a weekend in July when eight of the bay’s bathing beaches were put on sewage alert.

Cllr Steve Darling (Lib Dem, Barton with Watcombe) said the eight beaches were among 37 across Devon listed by Surfers Against Sewage as either having storm sewage discharged from a sewer overflow within the past 48 hours, or having the potential for sewage in the water.

The Torbay beaches were Meadfoot, Beacon Cove, Torre Abbey, Hollicombe, Preston Sands, Paignton Sands, Goodrington and St Mary’s Bay.

“This was reported at the beginning of the school holidays,” said Cllr Darling. “It is a shame that the government allows such reporting to be possible.

“This was poor publicity that Torbay could do without at the start of the school holidays. Residents and visitors should be confident that our waters are clean to enjoy.”

Cllr Darling said it had been ‘poor judgement’ for the council’s overview and scrutiny board not to have demanded answers from SWW sooner.

Now a ‘spotlight review’ will be held at the Riviera Centre on 5 October with a representative of SWW taking part.