South West Water has completed a number of major works in Dawlish as part of a multi-million pound investment to improve water quality by reducing the use of storm overflows in the area.
Two new storm storage tanks have now been installed at The Lawn and Sandy Lane which can hold up to 2.2 million litres of stormwater each.
These huge tanks will capture excess flows in the sewer network during periods of heavy rainfall and store them until there is capacity in the treatment works for full treatment.
Further work has been completed across the town to help improve the performance of the network, including surface water separation works at West Cliff and Exeter Road, which will reduce the amount of rainwater entering the sewer system.
A new pump chamber and control systems for the storm tanks have also been installed, along with a new sewer connection to the tank at The Lawn.
And work to address groundwater entering existing pipework in Dawlish, which can place additional pressure on the network, has also now been completed.
With the main construction phase of the Dawlish project nearing completion, work is now focused on reinstating the sites, including laying turf, removing hoardings, and rebuilding affected areas to give them back to the community by the summer.
Chris Bradford, South West Water’s Project Manager for Dawlish, said:“We’re really pleased to have reached these key milestones in Dawlish. Installing the storm tanks and completing the surface water separation and groundwater works are a major step forward in improving the resilience of the local sewer network in Dawlish and will help us to reduce the use of storm overflows in the future.
As we move into the final stages of this project, our focus is on reinstating the areas we’ve worked in and ensuring the community can enjoy them again as we head into the summer.”
Councillor Anthony James, Mayor of Dawlish, added: “This has been a really positive project for the town. Communication from the teams on site has been clear, consistent and proactive throughout, and its been great building a good relationship with the teams on site and seeing this project come to fruition.
“While there have been some temporary inconveniences, the long-term benefits of this work will be significant for our community. It’s great to see the storm tanks now in place and the teams working to get the final works completed so this area can be returned back to the town.”
South West Water’s scheme in Dawlish is being delivered as part of its record £760 million Turning the Tide programme, which aims to reduce the use of storm overflows across the region over the next four years.
View more information and updates on South West Water’s work in Dawlish
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