Rachel Gilmour MP Turns Anger Towards South West Water After Ill Health Bathing Incident
Today, Rachel Gilmour, MP for Tiverton and Minehead, will use a speech in Westminster Hall to unleash her fury at South West Water for the unsafe river conditions on their watch, which were raised to Ms Gilmour by a local family when their children became seriously ill after swimming in the River Exe over the weekend.
Immediately after hearing from the family in question, Rachel wrote to South West Water demanding urgent answers and action after several children became seriously ill within a day of swimming and bathing in the River Exe on Sunday evening (12 July), during a spell of extreme heat across the South West.
Residents in the area have reported seeing discharge from a Tiverton sewage works into the River Exe on the evening the children fell ill, yet South West Water's own discharge map records no activity in that period, showing the last discharge as 8 July. A video recorded by a local resident on 13 July appears to show discharge reportedly at the Collipriest site, which covers the treated wastewater and storm overflow outfalls associated with South West Water's Tiverton Sewage Treatment Works.
Ms Gilmour has written to South West Water, Mid Devon District Council, Devon County Council and the Environment Agency to raise concerns about the impact on public health and on water quality in the river. She has separately urged the Environment Agency to carry out immediate water testing at the Collipriest site and confirm there is no danger to public health, and will meet with the agency tomorrow to discuss the incident directly.
A mother of children who swam in the River Exe said:
“I have two ill children at home after playing in the river at Bickleigh yesterday evening. The South West Water discharge map shows it is not discharging and hasn't in the last 24 hours.”
Anyone who has been in the River Exe recently and is feeling unwell is urged to contact their GP or call 111.
In her speech in Westminster Hall today (to be made between 14:30 and 16:00 in the debate on preparedness for extreme heat), Ms Gilmour will turn her fury towards South West Water, not just for this incident, but also following the complete breakdown of communication between Ms Gilmour and South West Water when she tried to make contact with then regarding the hosepipe ban announced last night, and which came into effect at midday today.
Ms Gilmour will call out the lack of preparedness from South West Water for extreme weather events, abysmal management of the hot weather conditions, and a lack of basic environmental stewardship when it comes to effluent discharge - even if their discharges may well be within the legal limits.
Responding to the latest case, Rachel Gilmour MP for Tiverton and Minehead said:
"This incident joins a long list of failures from South West Water. It is a disgrace that they continue to fill our rivers with sewage that my constituents, and their children, should not have to worry about when they cool off on a hot day.
"This is a matter of public health, and I expect urgent action from South West Water. We can no longer accept this shocking handling of our water.
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