Multi-million-pound plans to upgrade the sewage system in East Devon have been announced by Water Minister Rebecca Pow.
The investment announced today will upgrade sewer overflows in Sidmouth and Tipton St John, alongside work to support nutrient neutrality in Axminster.
Some £70 million has been earmarked for Sidmouth and Falmouth. It will be spent on combined sewer overflows being upgraded at The Ham, Fortescue Road and Manstone Road that flow into the River Sid.
Tipton St John’s combined sewer overflow, which flows into the River Otter, will also be upgraded.
Work to reduce nutrient pollution and support nutrient neutrality at the Axminster Kilmington waste water treatment works has also been announced.
The site should comply with phosphorus nutrient pollution standards by no later than March 2025.
East Devon MP Simon Jupp said: “I have repeatedly called on South West Water to invest in East Devon.
“I’m really pleased they’ve listened to the case I have put forward on the floor of Parliament and in cross-party meetings with local councils.
“We pay the highest sewerage bills in the country and this new multi-million-pound investment is much-needed to upgrade our water infrastructure in Sidmouth and reduce nutrient pollution in Axminster.
“South West Water must continue to invest locally to clean up their act and our water.”
The new investment across East Devon follows a recent debate held in parliament by Mr Jupp, who called on South West Water to invest in the area and modernise infrastructure.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has asked water companies to accelerate investments between now and 2025.
This involves tackling storm overflow discharges, reducing nutrient pollution from treatment works, and addressing water resilience challenges.
Regulator Ofwat says this investment must ensure compliance with bathing water quality standards, shellfish water standards, and meet the Storm Overflow Discharge Reduction Plan spill targets.
The Conservative government’s Environment Act and Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan ensures water companies will face strict limits on when they can use storm overflows. This has forced water companies to embark on significant programme of investment in order to hit stringent new water quality targets.
Today’s news comes ahead of a further announcement expected on Tuesday, April 4, by the Government outlining unlimited fines on water companies.
These will be invested in a new Water Restoration Fund, making polluters pay for damage they cause to the environment.
This fund is part of the new Plan for Water to be published by the government alongside a consultation on strengthening powers of the Environment Agency.
