Anglian Water has started work on a multi-million pound investment in Southend’s sewers which will see nearly 11km of sewer pipe throughout the town relined to protect the brickwork.

Rather than excavating large sections of road to replace the existing sewers, the pipes will be relined with a soft felt ‘sock’ impregnated with resin where it fixes itself to the walls of the sewer. It is then steam cured to form a rigid pipe within a pipe which is designed to last for at least 50 years. This process will strengthen the pipes and dramatically reduce the risk of sewer collapses, which are often costly and disruptive to repair.

The scheme of work will be going on throughout Leigh-on-Sea and Southend-on-Sea throughout 2017. The £2 million investment in Southend is part of the £30 million Anglian Water spends every year maintaining and relining sewers right across the eastern region.

Sarah Dobson from Anglian Water said:

"Every year Anglian Water surveys hundreds of kilometres of sewers. Last year we surveyed 75km of sewer in Southend alone. From these surveys we have earmarked nearly 11km of sewer in Southend – the distance from Southend to Rayleigh – to be relined this coming year.
“Relining sewers and creating a brand new sewer inside an existing pipe is far less disruptive for local residents. The new lining sets hard, effectively creating a brand new pipe.