Turning the Tide – our action on storm overflows
We’re aiming for a drastic reduction in spills by 2030
Finding solutions to reduce storm overflow use
We’re putting solutions in place to make sure storm overflows are used much less. The ambitious Turning the Tide programme will invest £XXXXX to target storm overflows throughout the region, finding tailor-made solutions for each place.
We can’t remove storm overflows altogether – this would mean that if flow in the system was heavy enough, homes and businesses would be flooded with sewage. However, we can address the factors that make them likely to be used.
By 2030, our goal is for each storm overflow to spill no more than 10 times a year (three at storm overflows that impact designated bathing waters). By 2030 we also aim to tackle every bathing beach and achieve reductions in storm overflow use at bathing and shellfish waters.
Building on past progress
In the 1990s, the Clean Sweep initiative transformed the region’s water quality. Before Clean Sweep, around 90% of Devon and Cornwall’s sewage went straight into rivers and seas, untreated. Investment of £13bn in the next two decades brought major improvement.
Water quality at designated bathing waters in this region is now mainly rated ‘excellent’ during bathing season (May-September). We’re exploring ways of monitoring bathing water quality outside of this peak time.
We’re set to further on the progress made through Clean Sweep with Turning the Tide. This programme will make a real difference and deliver the changes customers want to see, including an improvement in year-round bathing water quality.