South West Water has completed a £5million project to construct a new wastewater treatment works near Ottery.

Sidmouth Herald: An aerial view of the new wastewater treatment works at Fluxton.An aerial view of the new wastewater treatment works at Fluxton. (Image: Archant)

The town’s old treatment works was decommissioned as it was at the end of its ‘useful life’ and construction began to build a new state-of-the-art premise next to the existing work at Fluxton.

It has taken three years to complete the project and the site at Fluxton will serve a population of around 7,200 homes.

Dr Nick Gardner, a South West Water scientist, said: “Ottery St Mary Wastewater Treatment Works was coming to the end of its useful life. Parts of the works dated back to the 1960s, though there had probably been some sort of treatment process on the site for years before that. The works was difficult to access and had become challenging to operate, and as the population of Ottery grew, it struggled to cope.

“The original works at Fluxton, which treated waste from Tipton St John, Fluxton, West Hill and about a third of Ottery itself, was left running while we built a completely brand new works right next door. To combat the risk of flooding from the River Otter, the works is built at elevation rather than at ground height, which was another design challenge.”

The scientist said the new site was one of the company’s most efficient and technologically advanced sludge treatment works with the inclusion of its phosphorus removal process.

Dr Gardner said: “Phosphorous is an essential element for life in small amounts but if there is too much in a river it can act like a fertiliser, causing excessive weed growth.

“So not only are we are pleased with the new works, but it’s good news for the water quality of the River Otter, and I expect the otters and beavers are very happy too.”

The old site in Ottery will remain as an operation site but for flow control and storm storage only.