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£760m scheme to ‘dramatically reduce’ sewage spills in south west

17 December 2025

Kirk EnglandSouth West environment and tourism correspondent, Dawlish

BBC A man in a high-viz jacket and hard hat stands in front of a large concrete water storage tank that is under construction. There is building equipment in the background. — Graham Murphy, director of engineering at SWW said the project in Dawlish will make a “massive difference” to the number of sewage spills

A £760m project is aiming to “dramatically reduce” sewage spills at beaches in Devon and Cornwall, South West Water (SWW) has said.

Construction is under way at locations including Dawlish and Falmouth for the scheme which the company said would cut discharges at key bathing water and shellfish sites over the next five years.

Graham Murphy, director of engineering at SWW, said projects from the firm would make “dramatic improvements” to bathing water in the region.

Martin Wrigley, MP for Newton Abbot and former Mayor of Dawlish, said the work “should have come much sooner”.

As part of the project, two storm water storage tanks are being built in Dawlish.

Mr Murphy said each tank would hold more than 2m litres (440,000 gallons) of water.

He described the project as being like a “large concrete jigsaw puzzle”.

“In times of heavy rainfall, they will fill up, acting as a balancing tank,” Mr Murphy said.

“Spill reduction at the beach is the aim.”

Two large storm water storage tanks are being built in Dawlish by South West Water

A view from above of a coastal town, with the sea in the distance. In the foreground is a building site - with a large blue crane - where a large circular concrete tank is being built in the ground — Two large storm water storage tanks are being built in Dawlish by South West Water

A Surfers Against Sewage swimming event in Falmouth was called off due to sewage in the water

A group of people are holding banners and signs on a beach, with the sea behind them. One sign - on a surfboard - reads sick of sewage. — A Surfers Against Sewage swimming event in Falmouth was called off due to sewage in the water

Wrigley said overall, SWW’s performance had been “poor”.

“Everyday when it is raining, I get emails saying that there are sewage spills in Teignmouth, Dawlish or in Dawlish Warren, all over the place,” he said.

“The upgrade scheme is good, but it’s not enough and it should have come much sooner.”

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