East Devon MP welcomes major investment to upgrade East Devon’s sewage system

Multi-million-pound plans to upgrade East Devon’s sewage system has been announced by the Water Minister, Rebecca Pow MP.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has asked water companies to accelerate investments between now and 2025 to tackle storm overflow discharges, reduce nutrient pollution from treatment works, and address water resilience challenges.

The investment in East Devon announced today will upgrade sewer overflows in Sidmouth and Tipton St John, alongside work to support nutrient neutrality in Axminster.

The £70 million to be spent in Sidmouth and Falmouth will see combined sewer overflows upgraded at The Ham, Fortescue Road and Manstone Road that flow into the River Sid and Tipton St John’s combined sewer overflow upgraded that flows into the River Otter.

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.

Work to reduce nutrient pollution and support nutrient neutrality at Axminster Kilmington waste water treatment works has also been announced. By no later than March 2025, the site should comply with phosphorus nutrient pollution standards.

The new investment across East Devon follows a recent debate held in Parliament by East Devon MP, Simon Jupp, who called on South West Water to invest in the area and modernise their water infrastructure.

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.

This news today comes ahead of a further announcement expected tomorrow (Tuesday 4th April) by the government outlining unlimited fines on water companies which 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.

Simon Jupp, MP for East Devon, 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.”