en.Wedoany.com Reported - South West Water has recently completed a series of water quality improvement projects in Dawlish as part of a multi-million pound investment plan to reduce storm overflow discharges.

The project primarily involved installing two stormwater storage tanks at The Lawn and Sandy Lane, each capable of holding up to 2.2 million litres of rainwater. These tanks capture excess water flow during heavy rainfall and store it temporarily until the wastewater treatment plant has full capacity for processing. Supporting upgrades across the town include surface water diversion works at West Cliff and Exeter Road to reduce the amount of rainwater entering the sewer network. The stormwater tank project also included the construction of new pump houses, control systems, and sewer connections for The Lawn tank. Works to limit groundwater infiltration into Dawlish's existing pipes were completed concurrently.

With the main construction phase nearing completion, the focus has shifted to site restoration—laying turf, removing fencing, and reinstating affected areas—with plans to return the sites to community use before summer. Chris Bradford, Dawlish Project Manager for South West Water, said: "We are very pleased to have reached these key milestones in Dawlish. Installing the stormwater tanks and completing the surface water diversion and groundwater works is a significant step in improving the resilience of Dawlish's local sewer network and will help us reduce the use of storm overflows in the future. As we move into the final stages of the project, our focus is on restoring the areas we've worked on and ensuring the community can enjoy these spaces again as summer approaches."

Cllr Anthony James, Mayor of Dawlish, said: "This has been a really positive project for the town. Communication from the on-site team has always been clear, consistent, and proactive, and it has been great to build a good relationship with them and see the project come to fruition. While there has been some temporary inconvenience, the long-term benefits of this work will be significant for our community. It's great to see the stormwater tanks now in place and the team working hard to finish the final tasks so the area can be returned to the town."

The Dawlish scheme is part of South West Water's 'Turn the Tide' plan, which will invest £760 million over four years to reduce storm overflow discharges across the region.

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