Wessex Water is making progress with a number of new schemes.
Work has now started on upgrading parts of the sewerage system near Shepton Mallet, where the company is investing £1.1m to build a new sewer and decommission Doulting sewage treatment works. The treatment works no longer has the capacity to serve the increase in population the area has seen over recent years.
The new sewer is being laid mainly in fields to connect the sewerage network in Doulting with Shepton Mallet sewage treatment works which will treat more of the area’s wastewater. The work is expected to be completed by early November 2010.
Later this month the company will also begin to replace water mains in an area of Exmoor. Wessex Water is investing around half a million pounds to replace mains laid in the 1950s and 1960s that have reached the end of their life.
Almost 3,000 metres (9,840ft) of water mains are being replaced as part of the scheme which will improve security of supply for people living between Timberscombe and Wootton Courtenay.
Mark Floyd, lead engineer for the scheme, said:
“The water mains have deteriorated over the years which has meant they have been susceptible to bursting.
“By replacing the old water mains we will be reducing the likelihood of people experiencing supply interruptions and provide a secure supply of water for many years to come.”
Recently completed projects include a new sewer to protect properties and local roads between Fishponds and Downend from flooding. Wessex Water constructed the sewer to reduce the likelihood of flooding in Overndale Road and Downend Road.
Steve Lawrence, senior engineer for the project, said:
“The work will help to overcome the problem of flooding to properties and local roads following heavy rainfall as the new sewer will provide extra capacity in the sewerage network.
“The work to lay the new sewer proved challenging as it involved excavating through hard rock”.
The £300,000 project, which took just over three months to complete, involved excavations being carried out in a number of roads in the area to accommodate the new pipe.
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