South West Water has boosted the resilience of its wastewater network in Exmouth with a new 1.4km sewer that will help protect the town’s coastline and communities for years to come.
The bespoke pipe, which has been specially made for this project, is more than 13 times the length of Wembley football pitch and carries flows from Maer Road Pumping Station to Maer Lane Wastewater Treatment Works, to be treated and returned to the environment.
South West Water’s teams have been working for over seven months to install the new pipe, which offers more resistance to wear, increased performance through higher pumping capabilities, and greater resilience against ground movement, reducing the risk of bursts to provide a reliable service long into the future.
Jay Harris, Director of Wastewater Operations for Exmouth, said: “This is a big step forward for Exmouth and after months of hard work by our teams I’m really pleased that the new sewer is now providing long-term resilience.
“We do not underestimate the disruption that recent issues with the old pipe have caused to the local residents in Exmouth. Between this work and other investments we have planned for the area we’re proud to provide a more reliable and robust service which protects our customers and our environment.”
Alongside other planned upgrades to Maer Road Pumping Station and Maer Lane Wastewater Treatment Works, the new sewer will help deliver a reduction in storm overflow use in the future by increasing the flows that can be pumped to the works for treatment in wet weather.
The new sewer represents the latest chapter in Exmouth’s long history of wastewater improvements, dating back to 1890 when the town’s first storage tanks and a pumping station were built at Sheppard’s Row to prevent sewer flooding in Exmouth.
For more information on South West Water’s investment in Exmouth, and to view an animation explaining how the sewer network has evolved, visit Exmouth page