Large investment to improve North Devon wastewater site

South West Water has announced it has invested £180,000 to reduce storm overflow spills at one of its highest spilling sites in North Devon.

The water company has said that Bratton Fleming, near Barnstaple, recorded 210 spills in 2023, but recent works have delivered significant improvements, with no spills from the site in the following four months.

Earlier this year, the company stated that investigations revealed surface water and groundwater were entering pipes in the catchment, which increased flows within sewers and put additional pressure on the treatment works.

A programme of work was launched to tackle spills at the site directly.

This included relining 300 metres of sewer across the network to stop groundwater from entering the system. A number of smaller repairs were also completed to address parts of the network where additional flows were entering pipes.

The team then identified areas for improvement within the sewage treatment works and made modifications to the pipework, helping flows move through the site more efficiently.

Jay Harris, Director of Wastewater Operations, said: “Bratton Fleming was one of our highest spilling sites last year and it was clear that we needed to take action to reduce spills. We’ve done some fantastic work at the site and in the wider catchment which has already delivered positive results, and we hope that these improvements will benefit the environment for years to come.”

The project is part of a wider programme by South West Water to address storm overflows at its highest spilling sites. 

Through this investment, South West Water has said it will become the first water company to meet the government’s target of fewer than 10 spills per overflow per year – a decade ahead of schedule.