18 July 2025, 08:52 | Updated: 18 July 2025, 08:53

By Edward Hill

I’m fed up with paddleboarding through sewage — and I’m not alone.

The River Exe should be a haven. Families fish, paddleboard, swim, and walk along it daily. But for years, we’ve put up with foul smells and even fouler water. Every time it rains, raw sewage pours into the river from Countess Wear Wastewater Treatment Works.

This isn’t just a local issue. It’s a national disgrace.

The sewage plant at Countess Wear can only treat up to 1,000 litres per second. After that, storm tanks fill, and once they’re full, the rest goes straight into the Exe. The site is already at capacity — and I’ve been told by a former worker that there is no physical space left........

© LBC