As South West Water defends a court action from a Devon swimmer, it also claims it has no legal duty to keep waters clean

South West Water is claiming it has no legal obligation to keep rivers and seawater clean of sewage in its defence against a Devon swimmer who is taking the water company to court.

Jo Bateman, who attempts to swim every day off the coast of Exmouth, is taking legal action against South West Water, claiming its frequent sewage discharges into the sea have taken away her legal right to a public “amenity”.

However, in its defence to Ms Bateman’s claim, seen by i, the water firm states no one has a legal right to swim in the sea.

  • AngstyPonyEnglish
    1·
    9 months ago

    Isn’t the sea a commons? (I checked and it’s the high seas that are “Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction”) Maybe the Govt doesn’t require the water-company to keep the rivers and seas disease-free - they did reduce environmental standards, at least once. So legally they might be correct. But in reality, a shitty company doing the dirty work of a shitty government.