People are encouraged to attend Sunday’s event even if swimming remains off-limits. East Devon District Council has advised against swimming at Exmouth beach since 11 September, after a potentially toxic blue substance was found in Littleham Brook.
The organisers of a bi-annual community sea dip event in Exmouth say it’s “more important than ever” to celebrate our coastline after the sea was closed at the beach for almost a third of 2025 due to sewage pollution.
While the water at Exmouth beach was off limits for 111 days last year due to sewage, there were 666 pollution incidents recorded by South West Water (SWW) across all its designated bathing sites in 2025. The company was responsible for the most spills in the whole of England last year according to analysis by conservation charity, Friends of the Earth, while, in its latest Water Quality Report, Surfers Against Sewage reported that SWW was guilty of the most sewage discharges in the country in 2024.
The Big Dip takes place in spring and autumn with the aim of encouraging the community to come together in a show of solidarity for the appreciation of our coastline. Organised by Sideshore Community – a not-for-profit Community Interest Company which runs year-round events and workshops focusing on sea safety and environmental awareness while promoting wellbeing – the event is also supported by Sea Swim Devon and Exmouth Beach Rescue Club. The event is taking place at 10.30am on Sunday 27 September on the beach at Sideshore, Queen’s Drive.
Last year, the sea at Exmouth was off-limits to swimmers for almost a third of the year – an average of 9.2 days a month – due to sewage pollution, so this year The Big Dip is for all water users and the wider community to come together in recognition of how valuable clean seas are, now, and for future generations.
People have been advised against swimming at Exmouth beach by East Devon District Council, which manages the beach, since Friday 11 September, after the Environment Agency confirmed that the presence of a bright blue substance in Littleham Brook which enters the sea at Maer Rocks, may be toxic. The substance has been traced to an industrial source. On its website on Friday 18 September the Environment Agency said the results of “detailed analysis” of water samples were due this week and people should not go in the water until further notice.
Bernie Rhodes, Activity and Project Manager at Sideshore, who organises the event, located on the beach at Sideshore, Queen’s Drive, said: “For many people access to the sea is intrinsically linked to their physical and mental wellbeing, friendships, and sense of community. Recent events have reminded us just how precious this resource and natural playground is, and how it’s more important than ever to protect our coastline and celebrate our seas."
People are encouraged to attend even if the water is still off-limits on Sunday. In addition to land-based community activities and refreshments by Heydays, there will be an update on a legal claim brought against South West Water and the Pennon Group in relation to allegations that the companies are responsible for sewage pollution. Represented by law firm, Leigh Day, Exmouth sea swimmer Jo Bateman initiated the legal action on behalf of residents in Exmouth, Lympstone and Budleigh Salterton in 2024. The claim has since expanded to include multiple coastal communities across Devon and Cornwall.
Nicky Nicholls, Community and Innovation Lead at Sideshore, added: “We are angry that our most precious and beautiful natural resource is used as a dumping ground, while South West Water continues to make a huge profit. The Big Dip is a chance to come together as a community, to share our frustration, demand action and continue to fight for clean water.”
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