Sewage spills into River Lim hit 297 hours in just two months
Access to live data (1) means that the River Lim Action group can reveal that there were over 297 hours (equivalent to 12 days) of sewage spills into the River Lim during January and February 2025.
Previously data has only been available after the end of the year – coming out around March for the previous year – with no analysis possible of what happens at any particular time.
Now the discharges from the six Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) into the river can be monitored in real time giving a more accurate record of what is happening in relation to rainfall. CSOs should only discharge during exceptional rainfall but on several occasions sewage discharged intermittently, after the rain stopped, for up to and over 24 hours. According to the Environment Agency, this seems to constitute a ‘dry spill’ which they define as ‘no rainfall above 0.25mm on that day and the preceding 24 hours’. (Environment Agency 28.08.24)
“This is a staggering amount of sewage going into our small river and demonstrates the urgent need for investment by South West Water to reduce these spills”, said Liz Davis of River Lim Action. “We understand there has been heavy rainfall but is it not acceptable for this amount of sewage to keep spilling, especially when the rain has stopped. There simply isn’t enough capacity in the system to prevent this”.
River Lim Action has welcomed the commitment by the Environment Agency to carry on testing at the mouth of the river during the 2025 bathing season, as well as the statutory testing it must carry out on the two bathing beaches.
“We welcome the continuation of data gathering – last year's analysis of E. coli at the mouth of the river confirmed exceptionally high levels of human sewage”, said Liz Davis. “Separation of surface water and sewage may reduce the discharges to some extent but unless there is additional storage at Uplyme Sewage Treatment Works, huge deluges of human sewage will continue to pollute the river and sea”.
Note to editors
1. Data is publicly available and derived from the Safer Seas and Rivers app provided by Surfers Against Sewage, based on data originating from the National Storm Overflow Hub API, from South West Water’s own CSO monitors (published on Waterfit Live)
