The discoloured water in the River Lew in Hatherleigh this week is believed to be sediment, the Environment Agency has said today.

A member of the public warned residents on Wednesday (July 8) that red-coloured water was seen flowing downstream and advised against entering the water in case it had been contaminated by sewage. The person said Environment Agency and South West Water officials were on site gathering samples.

An Environment Agency spokesperson said: “Our team were already on site carrying out a routine inspection when a pipe started to discharge what we believe was sediment. It was a small-scale discharge that was short-lived and has now stopped, and we are investigating to establish the source.”

A South West Water spokesperson confirmed that officials were also at the site but said that the teams were carrying out “routine audits.”

The spokesperson said: “We are not aware of any wastewater discharges in Hatherleigh. Our teams were undertaking routine audits with the Environment Agency in the area, and there was no investigation into a sewage spill.”