Beyond the Barriers - How an upgrade to our sewer network is helping the environment

Strolling along the peaceful riverbank in Dawlish near the Town Council, you might not believe that just a few months ago it was the site of a massive operation to upgrade our sewer network.

R & M, one of our amazing contractors, have laid over a kilometre of pipework which will help look after the river quality and bathing waters of Dawlish. By digging, measuring, securing, connecting and backfilling, they laid 6m of pipework each day, using special equipment to help them detect where the new pipe should go, and to make sure it’s level.

What is this new pipe for?

It’s a brand-new surface-water sewer, which will transport all the rainwater that falls onto the roofs, roads and driveways in the area. The rainwater will travel into a new oil interceptor that’s buried under the grass by the riverside. The oil interceptor separates oil and other pollutants from the rainwater before it’s released into the river.

How does a surface water sewer pipe help manage our wastewater?

Separating the surface water from the wastewater from our homes reduces the volume which ends up at our wastewater treatment works. This means we only have to work with the water which needs specialised treatment, and that makes our works much more efficient. Treating and transporting wastewater is energy intensive, so that's good news for the environment too.

The massive tank being installed in the car park is also helping to relieve the pressure on the combined sewers in the area, so our wastewater treatment works don’t get overwhelmed in stormy weather.

Our projects and the environment

The Dawlish project is one of several projects across the South West aimed at reducing the volume of surface water entering our treatment works. These engineering projects will benefit our precious environment and the people who live in and visit our beautiful region for generations to come.