A ‘SIGNIFICANT’ SEWAGE spill in Teignmouth has sparked calls for improvements to the town’s ageing sewer system.

Pollution at the site of the spill at Gales Hill was reported to the Environment Agency by volunteers from Friends of the River Teign after signs of debris such as toilet paper were seen flowing from a culvert into the river.

It is thought a collapsed highway drain is the source.

Water testing by the group indicated very high levels of E.coli.

An alert was quickly issued following the incident warning against bathing in Shaldon on the opposite side of the River Teign which is the designated bathing beach likely to be affected.

But Alec Collyer MBE, the group’s treasurer, said: ‘It was obvious when I got to the beach that this was a significant ongoing sewage spill at a location right next to Teignmouth’s popular Back Beach.’

The Environment Agency and South West Water investigated the report, with the water company carrying out a CCTV survey.

It is understood SWW had traced the sewage to a highways sewer line, where there had been a major misconnection and a collapse.

The pipe concerned is not on SWW’s own network.

But a spokesman for FORT said: ‘This is a significant spill of raw sewage with the potential to make people very ill.

‘We have received a number of recent reports of river users suffering gastrointestinal illness.

‘Many local businesses rely on tourism for their income, and beach closures are highly damaging, especially at holiday times. Our local communities deserve better.’

The group said the incident follows previous problems in the area, including a misconnected sewer that led to warning notices at Teignmouth’s Back Beach in 2024.

Water quality at the Back Beach has been classified as poor, below the minimum standard for bathing waters, in Environment Agency tests over the past three years.

Local beach users, including local rowing clubs and fishermen, have reported problems in the area for many years.

The Back Beach is not designated as a bathing water meaning there is no official water testing requirements or a pollution warning system.

FORT chairman Stuart Reynolds said Teignmouth’s Back Beach, while not a designated bathing water, “still deserves proper protection”.

FORT is calling for the Back Beach to receive the same level of protection as the designated bathing waters at Teignmouth and Shaldon.

It is asking for a formal investigation into pollution sources, improved warning systems, and investment in sewage and drainage infrastructure.

Mr Reynolds said: ‘The beach is hugely popular yet little has been done to make it safer.

‘We don’t want more warning signs, we want cleaner water.’

Shaldon Parish Council was advised of the spill and that an ‘incident’ had a potential impact on Shaldon designated bathing areas.

The notice from the Environment Agency says the advice is issued as a precaution.

Mr Reynolds said: ‘SWW and the Environment Agency did respond very quickly and it is not easy to identify where it was coming from.’

Both SWW and the EA are working to identity the problem.

An Environment Agency spokesman said: ‘Our specialist teams are working closely with South West Water and Devon County Council to identify the exact source of the pollution and resolve the issue as quickly as possible.’