Preventing Future Spills: South West Water Upgrades Cornwall’s Troubled Site

Duloe Site in Cornwall Sees Major Upgrades to Prevent Future Spills

South West Water has taken significant steps to address one of the most problematic storm overflows in England. Last year, the storm overflow at Duloe, near Liskeard in Cornwall, was one of the country’s highest spilling sites. The issue stemmed from a shortage of storage and treatment capacity, which left the site struggling to handle the volume of wastewater entering it during heavy rainfall.

Innovative Solutions to St”op Spills

Determined to tackle the issue head-on, South West Water’s operational and engineering teams devised a targeted solution to prevent future spills. The team upgraded Duloe’s storm weir, installing a new mechanical filter that increases the flow into the treatment process. This improvement ensures that wastewater is fully treated, rather than being spilled or tankered away during storm conditions.

Karl Stone, who joined South West Water as an apprentice in 2013, has been leading the project. Karl described the challenge as “huge,” but emphasised that the impact of these improvements is already significant. He highlighted that the upgraded weir has successfully increased the flow into the treatment works, effectively stopping spills at the site.

New Storage Capacity to Further Future-Proof Duloe

The upgrades at Duloe don’t stop there. Later this month, South West Water will bring a new 30,000-litre balance tank online at the site. This tank, which can store the equivalent of around 100 full bathtubs, is designed to hold excess wastewater during storm conditions. The stored water will be gradually released back into the treatment works when the site can safely handle it, ensuring full treatment and preventing overflow.

Karl Stone expressed optimism about the future, noting that the new storage capacity will further “future-proof” the site. This latest improvement is part of South West Water’s broader strategy to reduce the environmental impact of its operations.

A Broader Strategy to Meet National Targets

The work at Duloe is part of a larger effort by South West Water to reduce the number of spills across its sites. The company is prioritising similar upgrades at other top spilling locations as it aims to meet the government’s ambitious target of less than 10 spills per overflow, per year by 2040.

With these upgrades, South West Water is positioning itself as a leader in environmental responsibility, ensuring that even in the face of prolonged heavy rainfall, its sites are prepared to manage wastewater effectively.