South West Water says: “Remuneration is conditional on delivery of key objectives…”

I.e. Read the small print! – Owl

Tens of thousands have signed a petition amid the sewage scandal

(45,800 signatures this morning – add yours today on link below).

Lauren Beavis SWNS, Abigail Neep www.devonlive.com

A Devon family forced to cut swimming trips to their local beach over sewage fears is calling for a ban on bonuses for water bosses.

The Astleys live 20 minutes from Sidmouth beach in Devon, and they would visit often, saying they ‘lived and breathed’ by the water.

Marc, 61, his wife, Laura, 47, and four children, Sofia, 13, Sam, 14, Thomas, 17 and Molly, 19, are used to taking their swimmers, kayaks and paddleboards to the sea and local rivers all year.

Thomas even swam in the sea every month for a year in fancy dress to raise money for marine conservation.

Thomas Astley swam in the sea every month for a year in fancy dress to raise money for marine conservation

But as the years have gone by, the family’s “beloved” trips to the beach have become increasingly less frequent due to sewage spills revealed to them via the Surfers Against Sewage app.

The “heartbroken” family have also been left unable to swim in their local waterway, the River Otter, which has been revealed as one of the most polluted rivers in the country.

They have been forced to cut their swimming trips due to sewage fears and are now demanding change.

The “grim reality” has inspired Marc and his children to become dedicated ocean activists and campaigners.

Marc said that watching his son’s determination made him realise he needed to do more, and the family have now set up a petition to call for water company bosses to receive no more bonuses unless environmental regulations are met.

The Change.org petition, ‘Sewage should not = bonuses for bosses!’ has amassed 42,500 signatures in just under two weeks.

The petition comes at a charged moment as water bills are set to rise by an average of 5.4%, roughly £33, from April 2026, taking a typical annual bill to around £639.

Meanwhile, South West Water, the sector’s worst performer for pollution incidents in 2024, discharged an estimated 544,429 hours of untreated sewage into Devon and Cornwall’s seas and rivers.

Data from the Environment Agency Event Duration Monitoring system showed SWW pumped sewage into more than 1,100 different overflow locations, equating to approximately 153 sewage spills per day across the network of South West Water.

Marc, of Ottery St Mary, Devon, said: “We all love being at the beach, swimming at the sea even in December, taking the kayaks and paddle boards out.

“We even have to drag our kids out of the water sometimes when they are blue in the face!

“But when we first started swimming years ago, compared to now, the number of times we have had to knock the beach visit on the head and abandon mission because of a spill is completely outrageous.

“It really is heartbreaking seeing the kids itching to get into the water and having to tell them no because it’s serious and it could damage their health.

“For many people in Devon, the sea isn’t just scenery, it’s somewhere they swim, surf and spend time with their families.

“The response to the petition shows how deeply people care about the health of our rivers and seas.

“Enough is enough!”

Marc said the family created their petition, which is calling for stronger legislation surrounding the extra payments that water company executives receive, after watching Channel 4’s new documentary ‘Dirty Business’ – which explores an investigation into the UK’s sewage scandal.

Marc added: “This is about accountability!

“We were left so outraged and angry after watching the documentary that we were discussing as a family what we could do about it.

“So we created our petition with a simple principle: if environmental standards aren’t being met, executives shouldn’t be receiving bonuses.

“The government has introduced new powers intended to block pay-outs when environmental performance fails.

“But loopholes remain, rewards can still be restructured as retention payments or routed through parent companies.

“To the public, that looks like bonuses by another name.

“Meanwhile, families across the country are still checking sewage alerts before going for a swim!

“It is outrageous.”

Marc added that what particularly “enraged” his family and their community is “the sheer arrogance” of the water companies, who continue to increase their sewage spills.

He said: “These water companies are constantly pumping out PR.

“Even days after ‘Dirty Business’ was released they put out press releases chastising water users for putting items down the loo that they shouldn’t.

“We obviously don’t condone that, but it is just so tone deaf whilst they are the ones being exposed.”

Environmental activists have said the country’s sewage scandal is now a mainstream issue for communities, families and business owners that rely on clean rivers and coastal waters.

Marc says the amount of signatures that the petition has amassed over a short space of time highlights the “strength of feeling” from the country about the issue.

Marc said: “I just cannot understand why, with the level of anger, the strength of feeling there is now and how upset people are, politicians aren’t getting together and saying let’s do something about it.

“How they are still allowed to fudge bonuses is beyond me because water companies have a complete and utter disregard for their clients and customers.”

When the petition reaches 50k signatures, the family are going to contact their local MPs and bring their call to action to all water companies and parliament’s Number 10.

He added: “If you have the power, and can make such a big decision as to allow American planes to land in this country with the view to get them to bomb another country – why can’t you clamp down on water companies?”

Marc now runs Ocean Activist, a community initiative based in Ottery St Mary, which aims to raise awareness of ocean pollution and encourage communities to speak up for cleaner seas.

You can follow the family’s petition here:

https://www.change.org/p/sewage-should-not-bonuses-for-bosses

A spokesperson for South West Water said: “Remuneration is conditional on delivery of key objectives and is overseen and awarded independently. We recognise our customers’ concerns and are tackling the issues that matter to them most.

“We have cut spills at bathing beaches by 20% as part of our long-term plan – a 15-year journey backed by major investment and innovation to reduce the use of storm overflows. Change on this scale takes time, but the results are starting to show.”