TEIGNBRIDGE is ‘at crisis point’ because of the strain being put on local water supplies, it has been claimed.

Members of Teignbridge Council’s executive committee say they have no confidence in South West Water (SWW) and have agreed to fire off angry letters to government ministers over the amount of sewage being pumped into local waters.

Cllr Andrew MacGregor (SD Alliance, Bishopsteignton) pointed out there were 420 discharges into the Teign Estuary last year. 

He said it is a health risk for residents, visitors and businesses.

He claimed: ‘Businesses across the district are at risk because of sewage discharges.

'It’s due to a lack of investment and infrastructure.

‘It is important that we as a council point out to Westminster that we are really concerned about our businesses, our tourism and our environment.

‘It also puts development at risk. It makes it untenable to keep building and building and building when the infrastructure is already at capacity.

‘We are at crisis point.’

And Cllr David Cox (Lib Dem, Teignmouth Central) added: ‘We have no confidence in them, based on what they have done to our rivers and seas. 

‘They have put shareholders ahead of investment in infrastructure.

‘The regulators are underfunded, and we need national government to fund these bodies correctly so they can hold these bodies to account.’

A call for a vote of no confidence in the water authority had been made at a previous Teignbridge Council meeting in April.

At that time, Cllr Cox suggested there was no confidence in SWW’s existing systems and processes for managing and investing in Teignbridge’s sewage infrastructure.

He said then: ‘This is a big issue and we need to condemn SWW and the Government for failing to regulate and keep on top of this.’

Members had described the discharges of untreated sewage as ‘disturbing’.

Cllr Cox said there was widespread concern among Teignbridge residents regarding the state of the infrastructure.

Since then, SWW has come under fire for its handling of the water contamination in Brixham after cryptosporidium, which can cause diarrhoea and sickness, was identified in the network in May.