Along with many residents, Sidmouth Town Council has been concerned about the discharge of untreated sewage to our river and into the sea via the Combined Sewage Overflows (CSOs). The Council has been working with South West Water, our MP Simon Jupp and others locally to highlight and report the problems and to find solutions. South West Water has committed to spend around £10 million over the next couple of years to address the issue. Sidmouth is one of only two towns in the South West to get this accelerated spend.
One of the key issues is that clean water is also getting into the sewers which cannot cope with the extra load particularly during times of heavy rain. The excess diluted sewage then has to be discharged untreated into the river or sea. South West Water has undertaken CCTV surveys of the sewers to identify leaks and have identified areas that need lining. They are also seeking to reroute surface water, for example from the Ham car parks, away from the sewer. Both these interventions will help reduce the load on the system and therefore the number of times the CSOs are used.
More detailed information on the scheme and major works commencing this Autumn can be found here: https://www.southwestwater.co.uk/sidmouth-sewer-improvements