Sewer upgrade project is already slashing storm spills in Honiton
Engineers insert new lining into the sewer pipe to seal and protect the system from leaks and overflows
A town plagued by one of the region’s worst sewer overflow hotspots has seen spills slashed by more than 85 per cent after a major underground overhaul.
South West Water has relined over 500 metres of sewer near Honiton Wastewater Treatment Works — transforming it from the tenth worst site for spills in Devon and Cornwall last year into one of the region’s most improved.
The work, completed in January, has already seen the number of storm overflows drop from 219 in 2024 to just 31 so far in 2025. Engineers also upgraded 23 manhole covers to help stop groundwater leaking into the sewer system.
A CCTV camera is lowered into the sewer during inspections to identify areas vulnerable to groundwater infiltration.
Charlie Ford, project manager for South West Water, said: “We’re really pleased with the results of the work we completed earlier this year and the impact it’s having on our spill performance so far.
“Keeping groundwater out of our sewers helps to free up space within our wastewater treatment works and makes a real positive impact on the local environment here in Honiton and across the region where similar work is being carried out.”
The upgrade started with CCTV inspections to identify leaking sections of pipe, which were then cleaned and relined using a watertight protective seal cured inside the pipe. Further CCTV checks confirmed the new lining had set properly.
Relining reduces the amount of groundwater entering the sewer during wet weather — a key cause of storm overflows when the treatment works becomes overwhelmed.
The Honiton project is part of South West Water’s wider £760 million “Turning the Tide” investment, which aims to cut storm overflows across the region and make the firm the first to hit the government’s target of fewer than 10 spills per overflow per year by 2040 — ten years ahead of schedule.