Eco-Warrior Swimmer Fights Coastal Sewage Pollution in Landmark Case

On November 17, 2025, a film about a woman's campaign against sewage pollution in the sea had its premiere. "Jo in the Water" follows the journey of Exmouth sea swimmer Jo Bateman, who is taking legal action against South West Water (SWW) over the amount of sewage being dumped into the water along the Devon coast.

SWW acknowledged the film's focus on historic challenges the company has been working to resolve, including the installation of a 1.4km sewer in Exmouth to increase resilience to the town's wastewater network. However, Bateman, a retired physiotherapist, said she never expected the scale of the response to her actions, which have included speaking in the Houses of Parliament.

The film's director, Pip Piper, predicted the documentary would be "all over the UK" when it is released next year. The producer, Phil Webb, said the film, made in partnership with charities Surfers Against Sewage and River Action, had been brought to life by "Jo's courage." Webb added that the film is not just about water pollution, but also about "connection to nature, to our own sense of place and to our responsibility for the world around us."

SWW stated it has long-term improvement plans for its network, including what it called one of "the UK's largest environmental investment programmes." The company said it has cut spills at bathing beaches by 20% over the last five years and removed three quarters of the top 20 highest spilling sites from 2023, though it acknowledged there is still more work to be done.