The farmer built a temporary dam within minutes to stop the polluted water spreading further, and Environment Agency teams began pumping the milk onto nearby fields so the soil could safely absorb it.
Officers spent the day tracking the pollution as it travelled more than 5 miles (8km) downstream towards Tiverton, taking dissolved‑oxygen readings along the route. The agency said those readings “have come back favourable, meaning that environmental damage should be limited”.
The Environment Agency said: “Following the milk pollution incident overnight, we have deployed pumps and rain guns to spread the milk that had made it into the water course onto fields.”
It added, “Our Environment Officers have taken dissolved oxygen readings that suggest environmental damage should be limited.”
