What is the film "Jo in the Water" about?

The film "Jo in the Water" follows the journey of Exmouth sea swimmer Jo Bateman as she takes legal action against South West Water over the amount of sewage being dumped into the water along the Devon coast.

What is Jo Bateman's goal?

Jo Bateman, a retired physiotherapist, is campaigning to stop the dumping of sewage into the waters along the Devon coast.

Home / Environment / Eco-Warrior Swimmer Fights Coastal Sewage Pollution in Landmark Case

Eco-Warrior Swimmer Fights Coastal Sewage Pollution in Landmark Case

Q: How has the response to Jo Bateman's actions been?

Jo Bateman said she never expected the scale of the response to her actions, which have included speaking in the Houses of Parliament.

17 Nov

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Summary

Exmouth sea swimmer Jo Bateman taking legal action against South West Water
Film "Jo in the Water" premieres, documenting her campaign against sewage dumping
Filmmaker aims to inspire local action on "really important issue"

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.