SOUTH West Water has announced the creation of a new fund dedicated to preventing sewer misuse and fixing faulty connections, with £2million being made available over the next five years.

A misconnection is where a property’s wastewater is connected into the surface water network, or surface water drainage is connected to the foul sewer network.

Both of these types of misconnection cause sewage pollutions to watercourses, that can harm wildlife, the environment, and people.

Defra estimate that between 150,000 to 500,000 households in the UK are misconnected and resolving these issues is key to reducing environmental pollution, easing pressure on infrastructure and cutting public health risks associated with water systems.

A slice of the funding will be used to raise awareness of sewer misuse and the disruption it can cause by partnering with schools, plumbers and builders, as part of a wider community outreach programme.

While resolving these issues is the ultimately the responsibility of homeowners, the investment will also be used to support households resolving issues with plumbing, to conduct property surveys in areas at highest risk of misuse and misconnections, and to support enforcement of building codes by local authorities.

South West Water’s contributions will also support the development of new ways in which technology can be used to identify issues with sewer connections, including AI applications and satellite imagery. This investment in new technology will have benefits for the whole water industry, helping to create a more effective and sustainable system for identifying and correcting instances of sewer misuse.

Susan Davy, Chief Executive, said: ‘This new investment is a another step towards preventing sewer misuse and removing misconnections across our region’s water system, which threatens both public health and local ecosystems.

‘We are aiming not just to fix problems but to stop them before they start by raising awareness, offering hands-on support and working closely with communities, tradespeople and local authorities.

‘This initiative underscores our commitment to innovation, collaboration and building a cleaner, more sustainable future for the South West that serves our customers while protecting our waterways and the environment’.