End Sewage Convoys and Pollution in Exmouth

Mike Rosser, East Devon Green Party proposed the following motion at an Exmouth Town Council meeting and won with minor amendments on Weds 6th June 2022:

ETC thank the “End Sewage Convoys and Pollution in Exmouth” group for their research and their documents – see attached((NOTE: not attached here for this news item) – evidencing :

Increase of sewage discharges at Maer Rocks.
That sewage is discharged not just when there has been heavy rainfall
That convoys of lorries have been importing sewage into Exmouth.
That on occasions sewage has overflowed from the SWW storage tank onto the Maer Nature reserve.

ETC is extremely concerned about the increasing amount of sewage being imported into Exmouth by lorry the consequential damage to roads and the resulting carbon footprint..

ETC is also extremely concerned about the quantity of sewage being discharged at Maer Rocks, which is adjacent to bathing areas of the beach.

ETC will write to the CEO of SWW and invite her to address the next council meeting to explain what SWW are doing to address these concerns. If she is unable to attend. ETC will ask her for a statement of what specific action is being taken by SWW with time scales to address these issues.

A priority for ETC is the safety of all beach users (throughout the year – not just within the bathing season) and as such the need for them to be informed, when sewage is being discharged near to the beach. ETC considers that current systems for alerting beach users are inadequate. So ETC will ask EDDC to urgently review their beach management plan ( Please see attached) , and put into a place a system to alert all users when sewage is discharged – e.g brown flags/ red lights with accompanying notice boards .

ETC is also concerned that new housing development will increase the quantity of sewage and will ask SWW if measures are in place to meet this need. If this is not the case, ETC will ask EDDC to refuse permission for any new housing development within East Devon.

ETC will issue a press and media statement explaining what it will do regarding these concerns.”