Lyme Regis
We’re investing to reduce the use of storm overflows in Lyme Regis, helping to improve water quality in local rivers and the sea.
Providing you with better water quality
We’re investing to reduce the use of storm overflows in Lyme Regis, helping to improve water quality in local rivers and the sea. This major investment in Lyme Regis is part of our £760 million Turning the Tide programme, to improve water quality across the region.
Why do we have storm overflows?
Storm overflows act like safety valves when the wastewater system becomes overwhelmed, typically following heavy rainfall. Excess wastewater is released from storm overflows to prevent the system from backing up and overflowing in people’s homes and workplaces.
We want to use storm overflows less by finding solutions so more wastewater can be stored and treated without being released into the environment.
To ensure our solutions are effective, we survey a local area to understand factors that cause overflows to be used. We’ve surveyed Lyme Regis to help inform several projects aimed at reducing storm overflow use in the area.
Surface Water Separation
Keeping surface water from rainfall out of the main sewers will make it less likely we need to use storm overflows. We’re making a new surface water drainage so this water is separated from the flows that need full sewage treatment.
To do this, we’ll dig trenches and lay new pipes under roads. This will help improve local water quality in rivers and the sea by reducing storm overflow use. It will also help to reduce flooding risk.
Starting in November 2025, we’ll start work in:
- Colway Lane
- Sommers Lane
- Clappentail Lane
- Sidmouth Road
- West Hill Road
- Haye Close