South West Water has completed a major project to replace a section of sewer in Exmouth, part of a £38 million improvement plan to protect the environment and improve services for residents, businesses, and visitors.
Over the past eight weeks, more than 300 metres of sewer leading to Maer Lane Wastewater Treatment Works have been replaced.
The upgrade addresses persistent issues with the network and was completed ahead of schedule despite challenges such as severe storms and freezing conditions.
The work is part of a larger £38m programme, which follows £20m already invested in Exmouth over the past five years.
Projects have included replacing sewer networks, preventing surface water from overwhelming the system, and installing a new outfall pipe at Sandy Bay.
Future plans include increasing treatment capacity at Maer Lane Wastewater Treatment Works and reducing storm overflow spills in key locations.
The improvements align with South West Water’s goal to reduce storm overflow spills to fewer than 10 per overflow per year - a target the company aims to achieve a decade ahead of the government’s deadline.
So far, measures taken across the region have prevented approximately 12,500 spills since 2023.
Meanwhile, the Centre for Resilience in Environment, Water and Waste (CREWW), a partnership between South West Water and the University of Exeter, has been recognised for its sustainability efforts.
Located on the University of Exeter’s Streatham campus, CREWW was named Sustainable Lab of the Year at the Lab Innovation Awards 2024.
CREWW is the first facility of its kind in the water sector and includes state-of-the-art laboratories, such as a pioneering microplastics lab. The building itself is a living laboratory, optimised for energy and water efficiency, and has achieved Net Zero operation.
Within just two months of opening in March 2024, the centre earned the prestigious Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF) Gold accreditation.
South West Water is investing £21m in CREWW, reflecting its commitment to addressing global environmental challenges through collaboration.
Susan Davy, South West Water’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “CREWW is a world-leading facility designed to tackle some of the biggest environmental challenges we face globally. The team have made great strides since the centre was officially opened in March, and this latest award is another example of how we are working together to lead the way in innovation and sustainability.”
Professor Richard Brazier, CREWW Co-Director at the University of Exeter, added: “We are delighted to win this prestigious award that celebrates the outstanding innovation and sustainability of the CREWW building. By bringing together the best minds across multiple disciplines, we aim to co-create solutions that make a lasting positive impact on communities and ecosystems worldwide.”
With investments in both infrastructure and research, South West Water is making significant strides in tackling environmental challenges and improving services for the region.
