CALSTOCK people demanding that South West Water clean up the River Tamar before a distant EU deadline received short shrift from both the water giant and the Government's river watchdog last week.

Calstock parish councillors called on the company to honour promises to upgrade the sewage treatment plant just upstream from the village instead of waiting until they were forced to do it by EU legislation in five years' time.

Councillors also quizzed Robin Lloyd, a senior manager at SWW and Mark Walton, the Environment Agency's environmental protection officer, about a storm water overflow pipe near the village slipway — they say it is pumping out raw, untreated sewage next to where hundreds of rowers, canoeists and other boat users get in and out of their craft. That stretch of river is also popular with the village youngsters who splash about in the summer-warmed water.

But both men maintained that emissions from the treatment plant and the pipe were tested regularly and largely met with the EA's requirements, set out in 'consents' granted to SWW.

They reiterated that the plant would not be up-graded until March 2005.

'South West Water and the Environment Agency have agreed an investment programme. There's no chance of it being changed. A deadline has been set,' said Mr Walton.

The treatment plant consent only covers 'suspended solids' as the plant is a primary treatment works, where, according to Mr Lloyd, everything entering was chopped into a slurry and pumped into the river.

SWW has been promising to upgrade it for more than a decade and at one stage was urging Caradon District Council not to allow any more building in the area, though that has been sidelined recently to make way for several new housing estates.

Cllr Graham Parker asked: 'How do you account for the obnoxious smell at Calstock? It absolutely stinks.'

Cllr Godfrey Smale added: 'It's an absolute disgrace. You are allowing that river to be polluted.

'This is an area of outstanding natural beauty. We are trying to regenerate that village and attract people to it. I don't think you can get away with making us wait five years.'

He pointed out that if there were sewage spewing across a popular beach SWW and the EA would be onto it in a flash.

And Cllr Tony Knott said: 'The standard of that river is shocking. That sewage works just isn't working. Anyone will tell you you will see sewage solids at any time below the sewage works.'

He said the parish council had written to SWW and he had personally on numerous occasions, but the company had not replied to any of the letters.

Mr Walton conceded the water needed to be improved, but again said it was no worse than it was consented to be, though that the standard would be tightened in 2005.

Councillors were also concerned about the overflow pipe by the slipway, part of an area undergoing a million pound facelift by Cornwall County Council.

Both Mr Walton and Mr Lloyd said an overflow from the sewerage system into a storm water drain was normal. Untreated sewage would flow into the river, but only during times of heavy rain, they said.

Mr Knott said it was well known sewage was coming out of the pipe even when it wasn't raining. And after high tide the pipe left its unhappy dribblings sitting on the mud, until the next one.

'It is in the most prominent place in Calstock,' he said. 'Visitors and locals have to sit there and just watch sewage coming out.'

Mr Walton said perhaps they could look at it after 2005 and Mr Lloyd said, to hoots of derision from councillors, that there was no funding.

Cllr Dulcie Stephens asked: 'Surely an extension of a sewage pipe, when work is already going on there, would not be too much to ask?'

Mr Lloyd, when pressed, said he thought SWW might be happy to work with Cornwall County Council and look at some proposals.

'But I couldn't guarantee anything. At the end of the day it will be controlled by the cost,' he said.

The Environment Agency needs to be told when pollution is occurring, as it occurs. The EA hotline is 0800 80 70 60.