A persistent sewage odour affecting Lady's Mile Holiday Park in Dawlish Warren, Devon, has drawn sharp criticism of South West Water for failing to resolve the issue despite years of complaints from park management and local politicians.
The smell occurs intermittently throughout the year, forcing some holiday visitors to abandon their trips. Park operations manager Stephen Brown said the utility company had been contacted repeatedly over approximately five years but had consistently failed to act on the problem.
"They're just ignoring it,"Brown said.
"It's affecting our business, it's affecting the touring side of the business and has done for about five years. During that time frame we have people that have decided to leave because of it and it's just not on... we're just not being told anything from South West Water."
The smell occurs sporadically but frequently—several times each year, sometimes lasting a single day or stretching across multiple consecutive days. Brown characterised the odour as severe enough to drive paying guests away from the site.
What do local politicians say?
Martin Wrigley, Liberal Democrat MP for Newton Abbot, visited the site and described the smell as overwhelming and unacceptable.
"When we got out of the car, the pong here was just unbelievable."He said the experience was comparable to standing in a field where a farmer was spreading manure, and that the sewage processing plant across the road from the park was clearly the source.
Wrigley noted that South West Water had previously dealt with a blockage in the area, which temporarily improved conditions.
"It did get better for a little bit but to have this continuing on for basically five years is just unacceptable,"he said.
Rosie Dawson, Devon county councillor for Dawlish Parish, expressed alarm at the duration and the company's lack of communication.
"We have this foul smell still and this lack of communication to this huge business, it's the heart of Dawlish. Numerous, numerous complaints - South West Water are not even responding - it's really, really upsetting."
What is South West Water's explanation?
South West Water acknowledged being aware of odour reports in the Dawlish Warren area. The company said work at Timaru Sewage Treatment Works had caused temporary smells, but this work is now complete and the facility has returned to normal operations. According to the utility,
"The prolonged hot, dry weather has also made odours from the sewer network more noticeable,"and it noted that
"Our odour control equipment at Timaru has remained operational throughout."
The company's investigation concluded that the smell is linked to a private sewer network for which South West Water is not responsible. According to South West Water's guidance on odours, smells can intensify because of higher temperatures, wind direction, or blockages and volume in the network, and odours from treatment works should typically diminish within a few hours.
Why is this part of a broader pattern?
This complaint arrives amid wider scrutiny of South West Water's sewage management. In March 2026, South West Water admitted to 18 pollution offences spanning 2015 to 2021, involving illegal sewage spills across Devon and Cornwall that affected rivers and beaches. Additionally, a legal claim over sewage pollution was expanded in February 2026 to include Dawlish, reflecting growing concerns about sewage issues across the region.
According to South West Water's reporting guidance, wastewater odours are a known byproduct of transport and treatment, and the company uses odour-control systems at treatment works to reduce smells leaving facilities. Customers are encouraged to report noticeable sewage smells through the company's reporting channels.
What happens next?
South West Water has stated it will continue to monitor the Dawlish Warren area for odour reports. The park management and local representatives are awaiting further action from the utility company to resolve the long-standing issue.
Key Facts
- The sewage smell at Lady's Mile Holiday Park has persisted for approximately five years, occurring several times annually
- Park management says the odour has caused visitors to leave and damaged the business, but South West Water has not adequately addressed their complaints
- South West Water's investigation suggests the smell originates from a private sewer network rather than its own treatment works
- The company attributes increased odour intensity to prolonged hot, dry weather and says its odour-control equipment at Timaru has remained operational
- This complaint reflects broader concerns about South West Water's sewage management, including admitted pollution offences and an expanded legal claim covering the Dawlish area
