Work to repair burst Exmouth sewer 'delayed'

Work to fix a burst sewer in a Devon town has been delayed

Work to fix a burst sewer in a Devon town has been delayed, South West Water (SWW) has said.

The utility had been expected to install a temporary pipe in Exmouth on Wednesday after residents complained about sewage tankers passing through the town to a pumping station.

It said the sewer burst on 30 December and temporary repairs were not expected to be complete until the end of this week.

Simon Jupp, the Conservative MP for East Devon, called for an investigation into the "catastrophic failure" of SWW's infrastructure.

SWW said sewage was now being transported to a treatment works after the clearing of floods.

A spokesman said: "Our teams continue to work hard to fix the issue at Exmouth.

"However, we are experiencing some delays with the temporary pipe that will allow us to complete a full repair without the need to further tankering.

"We expect the temporary pipe to be working fully by the end of the week."

He added the firm was "sorry for inconvenience and appreciate the patience of the local residents".

Mr Jupp said he had asked the watchdog Ofwat to investigate the issue.

He said the firm's "infrastructure suffered a catastrophic failure this week due to their lack of proper investment into the town" and he wanted the regulator to consider fines.

The Environment Agency said it was conducting its own investigation.