Storm overflows in village 'halved after upgrade'

Storm overflow spills have halved in a Devon village thanks to the installation of new equipment, South West Water (SWW) has said.

North Molton in north Devon recorded 101 spills in 2024 compared with 202 in 2023.

The utility said a new reinforced concrete storm water storage tank, running alongside the existing storage, provided extra capacity during periods of heavy rainfall.

Jay Harris, the firm's director of wastewater operations, said the drop in incidents was an example of progress in reducing storm overflows.

SWW said the new equipment allowed the treatment works to store more water during wet weather to relieve pressure on the site and prevent storm overflow spills from happening.

When the rain stops, the tank then releases what it has stored back into the system to be treated, it said.

Mr Harris said: "It's so rewarding to see the number of storm overflow spills at North Molton treatment works dropping so much despite last year being the wettest hydrological year on record.

"Our teams are as passionate about reducing storm overflows as our customers are and, through examples like this one, we are making real progress."

SWW said the improvements were an example in a wider plan to reduce storm overflows and improve water quality across the region.

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