The Environment Agency (EA) has advised people not to bathe at Exmouth Beach in Devon after pollution entered nearby Littleham Brook, turning the water bright blue. The source of the unusual blue pollution was traced back to an industrial source on Saturday night, and the leak has since stopped. The agency added that there were no visible environmental impacts.
Pollution traced to industrial source
The pollution at Littleham Brook is thought to have appeared just after 8:30pm on September 11. As a precaution, swimmers have been advised against entering the water at Exmouth Beach while the water is analysed for toxicity, the EA said.
"A bright blue substance was reported in Littleham Brook, Exmouth," a spokesperson said in a post on X. "We attended and found no visible environmental impacts, but issued an advice against bathing as a precaution. Overnight it was traced to an industrial source, but it has stopped. It is not linked to the sewage network."
Warning remains in place
The warning comes after a separate sewage spill near Exmouth's bathing waters earlier this week, although the two incidents are not linked. The EA further explained its restrictions on its interactive bathing quality map, noting that Exmouth bathing water is affected by the catchment surrounding the Littleham Brook, which is approximately 600 hectares, and also by the enormous Exe Estuary catchment, which is approximately 150,000 hectares.
"The pollutant is still moving downstream and is likely to reach the bathing water this afternoon," the spokesperson added. "We're awaiting toxicity information, so the advice against bathing on Swimfo remains. We'll review again later and lift it when safe."
The Littleham Brook is four and a half kilometres long and flows southwest from Littleham Village through Green Farm and Maer Farm to Maer Bridge, where it is piped under the beach to the sea at Maer Rocks.
