Report suggests wastewater plants are struggling to cope with demand

A CRUCIAL and long-awaited study that predicts the extra sewerage capacity needed to cope with housing growth in East Devon shows South West Water has “quite a lot to prove”.

- by BRADLEY GERRARD Local Democracy Reporter [e-mail]

With huge housing growth planned for East Devon in the next 15 years, including the forthcoming second new community of Marlcombe, planners have been trying to predict what extra sewerage infrastructure will be needed for the area's proposed extra homes.

The so-called water cycle study, commissioned by East Devon District Council and carried out by sustainability consultant Haskoning, provides independent analysis of immediate and potential future concerns over various water and water-related infrastructure issues, notably wastewater treatment plants.

Concerningly, its new analysis suggests four of East Devon’s 16 wastewater treatment plants are already running beyond their dry weather flow capacity permit limits, and that seven - including Maer Lane in Exmouth, Feniton and Otterton - would be doing so if house building targets in East Devon are hit without any sewer infrastructure upgrades or additions.

The council has previously issued a vote of no confidence in South West Water.

However, it’s understood the analysis uses a more stringent benchmark for analysing the plants than environmental regulators may require, meaning South West Water said it did not recognise the data.

The water company added that its plants in East Devon were not exceeding their limits, and that if they were, the company would be facing enforcement action.