A lingering and often overpowering smell has left residents frustrated, councillors demanding answers, and a water company under increasing scrutiny – with a packed public meeting laying bare the scale of concern across Tiverton.
Dozens of residents gathered on Friday, April 17 to voice concerns over what has become known locally as the “Tiverton whiff”, an intermittent odour that many say has worsened in recent months and is affecting daily life across parts of the town.
The meeting, attended by local councillors and Tiverton and Minehead MP Rachel Gilmour, focused on the suspected source of the smell and what action, if any, is being taken to resolve it.
Opening the discussion, Ms Gilmour said she had been approached by numerous residents in recent months, particularly those living near Collipriest and in the Ashley area.
She said: “Over the past months several people have come to see me about the issue around Collipriest and in Ashley and in that area who have been subject to the wafts that come from the South West Water facility.
“The purpose of this meeting is to address the odour which is particularly noticeable in the Ashley area of Tiverton and can at times impact the whole town.”
Residents have reported that the smell is often strongest in the mornings, can persist for several hours, and has become both more frequent and more intense over time.
Ms Gilmour added: “We cannot be 100% sure that the smell is coming from the sewage works, but there does not seem to be another credible candidate for such a persistent odour.”
Concerns raised at the meeting centred on the nearby South West Water sewage treatment works, with councillors highlighting both operational practices and a significant increase in activity at the site in recent years.
Councillor Adam Stirling, Mid Devon District Council member for Westexe, said complaints about the smell were not new but had intensified since he took office.
He said: “There has been a lot of comment regarding the Tiverton whiff and this goes back years and years and year.
“Since becoming a councillor for Westexe in June 2024, a number of residents have contacted me with their experiences of this very unpleasant smell.”
Cllr Stirling referenced a response from South West Water to a complaint in 2022/23, in which the company said it was “truly sorry” residents were experiencing odours from the treatment works and acknowledged that sludge processing could produce smells during certain operations.
He said this appeared to suggest the company recognised the site as a potential source, even if it had not definitively accepted responsibility.
The councillor also outlined how the issue has been raised repeatedly through official channels, including scrutiny meetings at Mid Devon District Council and direct correspondence with the water company.
“In May 2025 South West Water responded formally to Mid Devon District Council and acknowledged the issue but they tried to downplay it,” he said.
“Around this point I wrote directly to South West Water because I was getting a lot of complaints and feedback from people in the Ashley area.”
Cllr Stirling added that he had gathered data from residents, including reports of at least 20 separate occasions over a few months when the smell was particularly severe.
He said: “We believe it is likely the smell is linked to the treatment of the sludge to the lime which is an old-fashioned technique other water companies have moved away from.”
According to figures presented at the meeting, Tiverton’s site now processes a significant proportion of sewage sludge from across the wider region.
Ms Gilmour said: “Tiverton processed the largest quantity of sludge of all South West Water sites in Devon and Cornwall.
“The vast majority of this is transported into the site by lorry including some from Cornwall.”
She outlined how large percentages of sludge from multiple locations – including Plymouth, Bude, Okehampton and Kingsbridge – are transported to Tiverton for treatment.
Statistics discussed at the meeting indicated that sludge volumes at the site increased sharply between 2021/22 and 2022/23, rising by more than 270%, and have continued to grow since.
Ms Gilmour said: “South West Water cited a regulatory change at the time and admitted there was no consultation with the people of Tiverton at that time or indeed hence.”
Councillor Steve Lodge, Devon County Council member for Tiverton West, said he and colleagues had met with South West Water representatives to discuss the issue.
He said: “In that meeting South West Water confirmed a significant increase in sewage sludge as we have heard, being treated, nearly tripled and deliveries coming as far away as Liskeard 85 miles away.”
Cllr Lodge said the company had suggested the smell could be linked not only to the treatment process itself but also to the transportation of sludge through the town.
He added: “Alan Burrows, council liaison officer at South West Water, acknowledged the smell could be linked to lorry movements as they transport sludge through Tiverton and Ashley, not just the treatment process on site.”
“He also suggested he is not confident that the odour issues are not South West Water and he suggested other agricultural premises or it could be caused by what he described as ‘the old Ashley tip’.”
Cllr Lodge added that Devon County Council had confirmed there was no smell originating from the Ashley Recycling Centre, while local farmers had said they too were affected by the odour.
Another key concern raised at the meeting was the lack of consultation with residents prior to the increase in sludge processing.
Cllr Lodge said: “When we asked why the public was not consulted about the 270% increase in activity South West Water said they were not legally required to consult the community as long as they remained within their environment permit.”
While the company maintains it is operating within legal limits, councillors argued that compliance alone was not sufficient given the impact on residents.
Short-term solutions were also discussed, including the possible installation of odour control systems.
Cllr Lodge said: “We asked why no fogging or misting system is being used.
“South West Water said they were looking at installing an odour abatement spray to neutralise the smell in the air, however this has not yet been installed because the current water pipe to the site is too small to provide the necessary pressure.”
He said funding had been set aside to upgrade the pipe after April, but no firm timeline had been provided for when any system would become operational.
Looking further ahead, councillors were told the company plans to transition to advanced anaerobic digestion – a cleaner technology used more widely across the industry – but this could take up to ten years.
Cllr Lodge said: “The council believes this is far too long for residents to wait for relief.”
The issue of responsibility was also a recurring theme throughout the meeting, with councillors criticising what they described as a lack of accountability.
Cllr Lodge said: “Passing the buck to environmental health is not a satisfactory answer to the communities concerned and that is why we called this public meeting tonight.”
Councillor Claudette Harrower, Mid Devon District Council member for Westexe, spoke about both the financial and personal impact of the situation.
She said: “South West Water have failed to answer questions we have sent them and they have done that at least twice.”
Cllr Harrower also described a personal experience involving a lorry carrying slurry.
She said: “As it went in front of me the load tipped a little bit and I ended up driving through the slurry which had dropped on the front of my car so I witnessed and smelled first hand the slurry and it was awful.
“Do not tell me it does not smell.”
She added: “We are still trying and we will not give up, but South West Water need to co-operate more, take on the responsibility of their business and not keep telling people to phone the council.”
A statement from South West Water was presented at the meeting, acknowledging complaints from residents while stopping short of accepting full responsibility.
The company said: “South West Water is aware of odour complaints from residents in the Ashley area of Tiverton and we take any complaints of this nature very seriously.”
It added: “Although we do acknowledge odours from the sewage treatment process will travel in some circumstances, we are also aware of other potential sources of odour from the vicinity.”
The company said it is reviewing its sewage sludge strategy across Devon and Cornwall and is also considering whether deodorising units could help reduce odours at the Tiverton site.
However, it said effective use of such systems depends on having a suitable pressurised water supply.
South West Water also stated that more detailed reporting from residents could assist in identifying patterns and potential sources.
It said: “We can review and amend operational practices at specific sites if there is detailed information on when and where odours are occurring.
“Unfortunately we have not been provided this level of information.”
The company added that Mid Devon District Council’s environmental health team may be able to assist in future investigations, particularly given the presence of other potential sources in the area.
Despite these assurances, many at the meeting expressed frustration at what they see as a lack of urgency and clarity.
Residents were urged to continue reporting incidents of odour, with councillors stressing that accurate and consistent data would be vital in building a case for further action.
Ms Gilmour said: “Reporting the smell is really important and reporting it in an appropriate way is really important.”
A website was created to report incidents at www.tivertonsmell.info
