Residents of a quaint Cornish village are expressing their frustration by halting their water bill payments, as sewage overflows plague their community with each rainfall.
Anne Oliver and her neighbors in Stithians face the unpleasant task of navigating through streets inundated with sewage, including human waste and toilet paper, when the drains overflow.
This distressing situation, which has persisted for at least 15 years, often results in sewage reaching their doorsteps, and in some instances, even flooding their homes.
In an effort to compel South West Water to address the ongoing issue, several villagers have taken the drastic step of refusing to pay their water bills.
Among those taking action is Ms. Oliver, who has been a resident for 12 years. She has reached out to South West Water more than 30 times since last December, persistently highlighting the problem.
Despite her efforts, Ms. Oliver reports she has yet to receive any response from the utility company.
She is calling on the residents of Stithians to join her and cancel their direct debits to South West Water.
‘If the whole village could do the same, SWW would finally take notice,’ she said.
Faeces and toilet roll outside a home in the village of Stithians in Cornwall. Furious residents have become so sick of sewage flooding their streets and homes that some have reportedly refused to pay their water bills until South West Water fixes the issue
A large puddle of sewage in the village. The problem, which has been ongoing for at least 15 years, has become so bad that locals often find sewage lapping at their front doors and on some occasions it has even flooded their homes
Ms Oliver continued: ‘In January we had two weeks of dry weather and we thought that was it. But since the storm (Storm Goretti) we have sewage outside our homes. Some people have had it in their homes.
‘It’s rank and disgusting.’
Jo Kaye, who also lives in the area, reported the sewage overflow to South West Water but admitted ‘not much has been done’ and drain is still discharging faeces into the road.
She said: ‘I asked many times for a clean up crew. It has taken two days for a cursory clean that is inadequate and I am once again waiting for a second attempt. We, the neighbours and I, are all currently waiting for follow-up calls from management, which have not materialised.
‘This is not an isolated incident. It has happened at least three times previously so is a known and ongoing issue. This makes no difference to South West Water. We are all still having to queue in the customer reporting wait queues to speak to a member of staff.
‘Previous investigation was unsatisfactory and, to be honest, insulting, considering the numerous videos we have sent as evidence.’
Another resident has been forced to take more drastic action and has installed her own pump to stop sewage pouring into her home.
Karen Smith told ITV News last December: ‘We can’t flush the loo when it’s full. We’re not able to function in daily life… we’re busy emptying drains and wondering if we’ll be able to have a shower or wash uniforms for work.
Soiled toilet roll stuck to a drain. Karen Oliver has lived in the area for 12 years and has persistently raised the issue with South West Water making over 30 calls to the utility company since December last year. However, she claims to have never received a call back
Sandbags piled up outside a home to try and prevent sewage flooding into a house. A flood-reduction project is also being carried out and is due to be completed by May this year
‘Things you kind of take for granted in this day and age.’
For others living in the area, the persistent ‘lake of poo’ has unsurprisingly became a serious health concern.
Some resident have even accused inconsiderate drivers of speeding through the large puddles and splashing small children with faeces-laden water.
Andy Snape, chairman and founding partner of the Built Environment Consultancy, has persistently raised the public health risk from sewage in Stithians.
He said: ‘This is a serious public health issue, when will someone take action against South West Water to compel them to provide the permanent solution that they put forward to the village almost three years ago? This is no longer acceptable.’
South West Water have stated they are working on ‘long term solutions’ to fix the problem which includes removing rainfall from our sewer network, investigating potential illegal connections into the sewers, and increasing the size of 125m of local sewers to provide additional storage.
A flood-reduction project is also being carried out and is due to be completed by May this year.
The utility company has been hit by a number of controversies in recent years.
For many living in the area, the persistent ‘lake of poo’ has unsurprisingly became a serious health concern
The company’s former CEO Susan Davy (pictured) stood down in July 2025, the same month South West Water agreed to pay a £24million enforcement package after it failed to manage its sewage network properly
This included the high profile outbreak of cryptosporidium in May 2024 after residents of the town of Brixham, Devon, complained of feeling unwell.
Symptoms include profuse watery diarrhoea, stomach pains, nausea or vomiting, low-grade fever and loss of appetite, and usually last between one to two weeks.
That same year, South West Water was responsible for over 56,000 sewage overflows across the region.
The company’s former CEO Susan Davy stood down in July 2025, the same month South West Water agreed to pay a £24million enforcement package after it failed to manage its sewage network properly.
In September last year, the water industry watchdog rated South West Water poor over the number of household complaints and the company’s handling of them.
This week, the government released their Water White Paper which it hopes will deliver tougher oversight and stronger accountability for water companies.
Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said: ‘These are once-in-a-generation reforms for our water system – tough oversight, real accountability, and no more excuses.
‘Water companies will have nowhere to hide from poor performance, customers will get the service they deserve, and investors will see a system built for the future. This builds on the tough action we’ve already delivered, from record investment to banning unfair bonuses.’
In a statement, South West Water told the Daily Mail: ‘The heavy rainfall has caused parts of our sewer network in Stithians to become overwhelmed. Our teams are cleaning up the area to remove any debris as quickly as possible.
‘We are working on a long-term solution here which includes: removing rainfall from our sewer network, investigating potential illegal connections into the sewers, and increasing the size of 125m of local sewers to provide additional storage, as well as carrying out more sewer cleansing and internal sealing of manholes to prevent them from overflowing.’
