After one of the driest summers in recent memory, Kingsbridge is once again bracing for winter rain and the familiar anxiety of flooding and sewage rising through the streets.

For years, residents have endured repeated disruption and damage as rainfall and changing tides overwhelm the town’s ageing water system. Flooded streets regularly prevent vehicles from passing, while homes and businesses suffer property damage, lost stock, and temporary closures. Rising sewage also produces an unpleasant odour that wafts throughout the town.

This year’s prolonged dry, hot weather has left the ground unusually hard, making it less able to absorb rainfall. The Environment Agency warns that flash floods can be particularly dangerous after this, as rain that would normally soak into soil instead runs off into drains — adding to the already strained water systems.

Yet as autumn arrives, Kingsbridge remains caught in what can only be described as an “alphabet soup” of governance — a network of overlapping responsibilities shared between South West Water (SWW), Kingsbridge Town Council (KTC), South Hams District Council (SHDC), Devon County Council (DCC) and the Environment Agency (EA).

The dry summer offered an ideal window for groundwork, and residents hoped for faster visible progress. But those overseeing the project say the challenge lies not with weather, but in aligning multiple agencies, budgets, and long-term infrastructure plans. In short, the bureaucratic red tape.

The agencies insist that work is under way, but the slow-moving process of assessments, feasibility studies and design reviews must be agreed across all responsible parties before major improvements can begin.

Dr Stephen Dart, Catchment Asset Manager for Wastewater Services at South West Water, said: “We have put several measures in place in Kingsbridge, with plans for further investment being developed with local stakeholders.

“Our teams proactively monitor weather and tidal conditions, attending sites including Kingsbridge ahead of potential issues and remain in the area until the risk has passed. Tankers are regularly deployed to remove sewage from The Quay area, and manholes are being sealed to limit additional water entering the network.”

He added that South West Water “continues to work closely with the Kingsbridge Partnership to coordinate a collaborative approach to flooding and water management.”

Cllr Paul Vann, who along with Cllr Philip Cole has been seeking a long-term solution, said: “Extensive surveys of the town’s sewer and rainwater systems have now been undertaken by South West Water with some smaller-scale issues addressed. Further investigations by Devon County Council are believed to be in hand.

“An initial scheme to manage excess sewage and rainwater has been identified and is understood to be deliverable in the short term. A major scheme to address the town’s problems more thoroughly has been identified, however it is understood that as yet South West Water do not attach priority to this given the scale of other problems across its network.”

SWW says it is developing detailed plans to upgrade Southville Pumping Station, and the EA has launched its national Flood Action Week campaign, urging residents to protect their homes and belongings ahead of the winter months.

But in Kingsbridge, where weather and wastewater systems are inextricably linked, it looks like residents should expect much of the same as previous years. Perhaps the next flood warning season will bring not just preparedness advice — but evidence that long-term progress is finally flowing in the right direction.