Exmouth

Overflow locations

The map below shows the locations of the storm overflows that have the potential to impact water quality at this bathing water.

The map shows whether or not a storm overflow is currently active, the time and duration of the last spill at that location, and our investment commitments that are specific to that overflow.

Water quality sample results

The graphs below show the significant reduction in harmful bacteria in the Environment Agency’s (EA) water samples since the 1990s. E. coli and  Intestinal Enterococci exist in all open water - they are found in human and animal poo, and get into the water via sewage spills, road drainage, agricultural livestock, or wildlife and birds. The EA uses the levels of these bacteria to decide whether to award this beach bathing water status.

Investment programme up to 2025

We are currently working on a project to improve Maer Road and Phear Park pumping stations' storm overflows performance. This will reduce them to less than 10 significant (greater than 50 metres cubed) spills per year on average. We have also enhanced the screening on the storm overflow at Phear Park to reduce sewer debris when it discharges.

We are working with the EA to target completion by 2025 which includes investment of around £22,400,000.

The work we have completed or are planning includes:

• preventing surface water from entering the sewerage network at Seymour Avenue and Denning Court. This helps reduce the volume of water in the network and therefore reduces the need for storm overflows to operate
• making improvements to the network to help reduce groundwater infiltration
• transferring more wastewater to the Maer Lane sewage treatment works for storage and treatment 
• starting work (which will complete after March 2025) to increase treatment capacity to support the transferred wastewater 
• upgrading the sewage treatment works outlet pipe through Sandy Bay holiday park and out to sea off of Straight Point. 

We have also evaluated potential for surface water separation in The Colonies area to reduce discharges from Hartopp Road pumping station storm overflow which we will complete in the next investment period. 

All overflows in Exmouth are currently included in plans to be improved by 2030. We also plan to improve the screening on the storm overflows, where necessary. 

The 2025-2030 investment programme is currently being scoped out. If you’re a community group or part of a local network and would like to have your say see ‘Your Beach, Your Say, Our Investment’.

5 year overflow spill information

The data shown in the table below is the reported annual total spill number for each overflow which has been identified by the EA for this bathing water.

The assignment of an overflow to the bathing water does not always mean an impact will occur, it can be dependent on a number of factors such as tidal state and weather conditions. Sometimes it has been allocated just for investigation purposes and has no impact at all.

All data collected goes through vigorous quality assurance processes before being included in the counts. Sometimes debris can trigger false spills to be recorded, resulting in potentially higher than actual spill numbers.

Number of spills

The beach profiles were created in line with information provided by our partners, Environment Agency, RNLI, Keep Britain Tidy, MCS - Beach Guide and British Beaches.