At least seven children suffered vomiting and stomach complaints after swimming in Devon's River Dart, where untreated sewage had been discharged for approximately 16 hours just days prior, according to reports.
Incident Details
The children swam in the River Dart on the hottest day of the year, with temperatures reaching 35°C across the county last Friday. South West Water had released untreated sewage upstream for around 16 hours before the children entered the water.
Kelly Vipond reported that both her children became ill after swimming. Her 12-year-old son experienced nausea the next day, while her eldest son fell ill several days later. Other children reportedly suffered from "projectile vomiting," according to the Mirror.
Parent's Reaction
Ms Vipond expressed devastation: "It's devastating that we can't go in our local river. It's a very small tributary. I was aware of the impact of sewage in our rivers. I had researched it a couple of years ago, and the little River Dart came out that it wasn't too bad and didn't have as much sewage as other local rivers."
She added: "I was absolutely furious after that happened. I was absolutely livid. I was almost kicking myself that I didn't look. I didn't even think to check. We'd had torrential downpours two days before. I don't think we'll be going locally again. It's put us off."
Ms Vipond alerted the Environment Agency, which confirmed that South West Water would conduct tests at the location, though not until the next day at the earliest.
Broader Context
This incident follows revelations that South West Water's former chief executive, Susan Davy, received a £270,000 bonus despite a parasite outbreak that contaminated drinking water and affected over 140 people. Davy also received £100,000 for private security over two years while leading the firm during significant water quality failures. She left the position in December.
South West Water's parent company, Pennon, reported an interim pre-tax profit of £114 million shortly after being fined £1.8 million for the 2024 Brixham cryptosporidium incident that led to four hospitalisations.
Political Response
Ian Roome, Liberal Democrat MP for North Devon, described the situation as "absolutely infuriating," stating that Devon families were "apparently expected to consult a live sewage map" before allowing children to paddle in local waterways. He noted: "Last year, South West Water spilled sewage into bathing sites across the region over 7,900 times, that's 22 times per day. Enough is enough, and parents should not be made to feel guilty for letting their children enjoy nature, particularly during the weather we are seeing. South West Water keeps getting away with discharging filthy sewage into our rivers, and we will look with interest at the results of their tests."
Company Statement
A spokesperson for Pennon said: "We're sorry to hear people have been unwell and we take reports like this seriously. We are unable to comment on individual cases, but it is important to note that there are many factors that can affect river water quality, including agricultural and urban pollution. Following notification of the incident, we carried out on-site water quality testing at locations on the river, which did not indicate any evidence of pollution at the points tested. Our data also shows local storm overflows in the area were operating as they should. Even so, we are investing £760 million to tackle storm overflows and have already reduced spills by 17% over the past year."
Environment Agency Action
A representative from the Environment Agency commented: "We are investigating this spill and will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action, if appropriate. More people, better data and increased powers enable us to act on intelligence about potential offences. We have also significantly increased our inspections of water company assets, completing over 10,000 in the year ending March 2026, rooting out wrongdoing and driving better performance."
