South West Water completes £2 million sewer replacement to add future resilience in Exmouth

Following four bursts to the sewer since December 2023, around £2 million has been invested to replace the stretch of pipe which runs from Plumb Park housing estate to Maer Lane.

To ensure the full length of sewer is in the best possible condition, South West Water has also relined the sewer from Maer Lane into the sewage treatment works by creating a new pipe within the existing one.

This new lining will be as strong and offer as much resilience as a replacement pipe would, without the added time and disruption a new pipe would have taken to lay.

John Halsall, South West Water’s Chief Operating Officer, said: “This has been a huge challenge and once again I’d like to reiterate how sorry we are for the disruption it has caused residents and landowners.

“We’re really pleased to have completed this work to stop issues like this from happening again, and I would like to thank all of our operational teams and supply partners who have worked so hard on this project in extremely difficult weather conditions.”

In order to fit the new section of sewer, a 1.5 kilometre temporary overland pipe was installed to divert wastewater flows around the damaged section of pipe. South West Water is now removing this pipe and its other equipment to restore the area to normal.

The sewer replacement forms part of a series of improvements South West Water is making to its network in Exmouth. This includes power and pump upgrades at Maer Road Pumping Station to reduce the use of the storm overflow, and expanding the capacity of Maer Lane Treatment Works to reduce spills during periods of heavy rainfall.