Hundreds of people demonstrated on Exmouth seafront and out in the water on Saturday, May 17, demanding an end to sewage pollution.
It was part of a national Paddle Out protest, organised by Surfers Against Sewage, that took place on beaches and at other waterside locations around England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
It was also a call to action at a time when public outrage over pollution, rising bills and brimming executive pay packets could push the government into a big rethink of the privatised water industry.
For the Exmouth Paddle Out, Surfers Against Sewage teamed up with Friends of the River Exe, Transition Exmouth and Sideshore CIC. Local choirs sang, the XR Devon Drummers led a march along the seafront, and then dozens of swimmers, surfers, paddleboarders and kayakers took to the water, displaying banners calling for South West Water to stop discharging sewage into the sea.
Mary Culhane from Friends of the River Exe said: “Today has a real community feel to it – we’ve had yoga here this morning, and having four choirs joining together has felt really special.
“It feels important to be part of this nationwide event with 43 all over the country today. It’s not just Exmouth that has this pollution problem, beaches and rivers are experiencing it all over the UK.
“Hopefully the government will realise that the whole country has had enough of the pollution and is tired of hearing soundbites on ‘getting tough on sewage’. We’re still waiting for legislation to be put in place which holds the polluters to account. Why should water companies make huge profits while our bills go up and people and the planet suffer?”
Among the speakers at the event was local sea swimmer Jo Bateman, who hit the headlines last year after launching a small claims court action against South West Water. She is supporting a separate group legal claim against the company by 1,300 businesses and other residents of the Exe Estuary area.
Nicky Nicholls, manager of Sideshore CIC, said: “It was inspiring to see hundreds of people from our community – united in calling for South West Water to stop dumping sewage in the sea.
“We share our anger with coastal communities all around the UK. We want our beaches to be safe and clean, for everyone – residents and tourists, dogs and wildlife. With proper investment in sewage infrastructure we know this is possible.”
Also in attendance at the event was the Conservative MP for Exmouth and Exeter East, David Reed, who has promised to do ‘whatever it takes’ to make South West Water improve its performance. He has backed tougher penalties for sewage pollution, and more investment in the water and sewage system.
But these are intentions we’ve heard about before – memorably from the former Tory MP for East Devon, Simon Jupp, who has now taken a job with South West Water’s parent company Pennon as Director of Regional Development.
Time to pull the plug on privatisation?
Right now there is potential for dramatic change in the water industry. The Independent Water Commission has been tasked with recommending ‘practical and deliverable’ reforms to the water sector in England and Wales, and is due to present those recommendations to the government in June or early July.
The Commission has been looking at a wide range of interlocking issues including the strategic management of water, the regulatory system, the ownership and financing of water companies, the interests of consumers and investors, environmental protection and public health. It has received submissions from a wide range of organisations including those representing consumers, the environment, and – of course – heavyweight business and water industry interests.
Surfers Against Sewage has described this as a ‘once-in-a-generation chance to influence water industry reform’. After working with other environmental groups and carrying out public opinion surveys, it put forward a submission calling for a complete transformation of the water system, to create a model that prioritises the environment and public health over private profit.
The group said: “International examples show us there are other ways to run the water sector, approaches to finance and governance where the planning, investment and operations of water companies is carried out for public benefit (rather than in the interests of private investors), particularly when paired with municipal oversight and some form of public ownership.”
The government has already begun the process of renationalising railway services. The case for bringing the water industry back into public ownership is arguably even stronger. People have had enough of the never-ending flow of sewage into our rivers and seas, while water bills keep rising and money continues to flow into the pockets of industry fat-cats. This isn’t a party-political issue any more – it’s a clear case of a system that’s broken, and a public demand for action to fix it.
As the government prepares to receive the Commission’s recommendations, let’s make it clear to our MPs that the public wants to see real change – not watered-down promises of more investment and better regulation.
