South West Water has started work this week on an innovative sustainable drainage scheme to reduce sewer flooding in the South Hams village of Aveton Gifford.

The water company has been working with the parish council, the school and local residents to reduce the amount of surface water entering the combined sewer.

Water flowing off roofs, hard-standings and other impermeable areas has sometimes overloaded the sewerage network and caused it to overflow.

Pupils at Aveton Gifford Primary School help design sustainable drainage

The WaterShed Aveton Gifford scheme will provide a new surface water pipe to take rain water from the school, the car park and the Memorial Hall and direct it into the stream. This will remove around 25% of the surface water and return capacity to the sewerage network, reducing the risk of sewer flooding.

Under the scheme a 14 metre long swale - or planted ditch - will convey water across the grassy area behind the Memorial Hall. This will filter and slow the rain water before it flows into the stream, as well as providing a wildlife habitat and additional drainage for that area.

Around 40 households will also be offered a free downpipe disconnection using sustainable drainage methods to reuse or store water in their garden.

The project is working with the school to build landscaping features like planters which store water on site. These works are likely to be completed during the summer holidays.

  South West Water Flood Risk Manager, Richard Behan, said:

"There are many innovative ways of working with communities to reduce flooding and pollution and this project in Aveton Gifford is a good example of what can be done. “

"Often what is needed is to reduce the volume of water going into the combined sewer for a short period when rainfall is at its most intense.  This scheme will enable the sewerage network in the village to operate as it should without overflowing, and we hope this will remove the incidence of sewer flooding in the village."