Thames Water has started a £16 million project to reduce pipe bursts in Haydon End, Swindon – the water company is replacing the full-length of the 3km Haydon End Rising Main to prevent future bursts and ensure the network is resilient for the future.

Image: Map of the Haydon End replacement route

The year long project will involve closures on the footpaths / cycleways within the area of the work. The cycle path will be reinstated once the works have been completed.

The project will be located at multiple dig sites and is scheduled to be completed by July 2024. When complete, the Rising Main will follow a new route to ensure the network is resilient for future generations.

Haydon End sewage pumping station and Rising Main were built in 1995-96 to transfer sewage to the inlet works at the western end of Swindon sewage treatment works. The area and population the pipe serves have grown significantly in the years since. In the last two years, the pipe has experienced several bursts with increasing frequency and due to the scattered nature of the bursts a full-length replacement of the pipe is required.

The replacement Rising Main is expected to bring wider resilience to the area and surrounding environment. Thames Water is working with the local authority (Swindon Borough Council) on improving the local cycle networks after the work is completed.

Andrew Scott, Head of Waste Treatment for the Thames Valley Region at Thames Water said:

“We're excited to start work to replace the Haydon End Rising Main. We recognise the disruption recent bursts from this pipe have caused and the impact it has had on customers. That’s why we brought forward our plans to start this £16 million project now so we can ensure our network in the area is resilient to the pressures of climate change and population growth and we can provide a reliable service to our customers.”

Councillor Chris Watts, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for the Environment and Transport, said:

“The sewage leaks in North Swindon have caused disruption to local wildlife and residents in Taw Hill so I’m really pleased Thames Water is making this significant investment in its infrastructure to benefit the town.

“We have been working closely with Thames Water to facilitate the work and, because the new pipe will be going underneath the existing cycle path, we have agreed that the route is improved when the path is put back in place, which is great news for cyclists and pedestrians who use it.”

Work on the the project will be carried out in two sections:

• The first section will be from the Haydon End Sewage Pumping Station to the north of the railway track. It'll be tunnelled to minimise impact to the local environment.
• The second section will be an open-cut installation following the route of the old railway line that is now a footpath and cycle way (route 45). This section crosses the river Ray near Barnfield Road, where it will be drilled underneath the watercourse. The final section will be at the sewage treatment works, off Barnfield Road.