Work is due to start to prevent sewage from the twin villages of Kingsand and Cawsand being pumped untreated directly into the local bathing waters.

An exhibition was held last night (Thursday) to outline to residents plans for South West Water's Clean Sweep scheme for the villages. The scheme is designed to stop raw sewage discharges from the sewerage system, and provide both communities with much cleaner bathing waters. The exhibition was staged in the Maker with Rame community hall, Kingsand, with SWW representatives on hand to answer questions.

Under the new scheme, the sewage outfalls will be intercepted by four new pumping stations which will transfer the sewage to an existing treatment works at Millbrook, through new sewers, for biological treatment. Two of the existing outfalls will be retained to discharge water from streams and storm water overflows.

The recently designated bathing waters at Kingsand and Cawsand, despite being popular tourist destinations, have failed to meet mandatory European water quality standards. SWW said, where possible, remaining disused outfalls will be removed.

Work to install a cross-country pipeline to Millbrook, small pumping stations at South Rock and North Rock and other minor works within the villages will be carried out this spring.

Work will not take place during the summer.

Subject to receipt of planning permissions, work on the rest of the scheme will start this September, so all is completed by the 2001 bathing season.

A SWW spokesman, Stephen Swain, said: 'Major work of this kind inevitably means some practical problems from time to time. While this work is in progress we will do all we can to keep inconvenience to a minimum, and we will keep residents informed of progress. A local liaison committee has already been formed to aid communication and to discuss any problems.'