Wessex Water is getting ready to start the next phase of a £2 million water supply scheme in Devizes to upgrade pipes as the opening stage of the major two-year project in the Wiltshire market town nears completion.
The seven-figure overhaul of supply services in Devizes got under way in autumn 2023 with the replacement of cast-iron mains with plastic pipes to safeguard the reliability of the system and reduce the risk of leaks.
Teams have carried out refits in a number of streets in the town centre, the first of a scheduled four-part project.
With the first element of work close to concluding, attention will turn to the middle section of the upgrade, which will see phases two and three merged, starting at the beginning of March.
In total, more than two kilometres of pipes will be replaced throughout the centre of the town before April 2025. The new phase will start on Monday 4 March and continues over 35 weeks until the beginning of November.
Project manager Louie Cosentino said:
“The opening section of this extensive project has progressed really well and our thanks go to customers and businesses throughout Devizes for their patience and understanding while our team have worked hard to complete it on schedule.
"We know that such a major investment inevitably means there is a significant impact on the town, but we’ve worked closely with them and Wiltshire Council to ensure that any disruption is kept to a minimum as much as possible and we’ve reopened roads as we’ve progressed.
"That will continue in this middle phase of the project, and we will continue writing to customers and businesses directly."
Wessex Water currently spends more than £8 million a year on replacing ageing leak-prone water mains which can also cause quality issues such as discoloured water and poor pressure for customers.
The utility is proposing its largest ever investment in water and sewerage services – around £3.5 billion – between 2025-30, more than double the current five-yearly spend of around £1.5 billion subject to regulatory approval of its AMP8 Business Plan.
With the UK government demanding a 50% reduction in storm overflow spills by 2029, the era of reactive management is over. Speaking in the House of Commons on 21 July 2025, then environment secretary Steve Reed said, “This Government will cut water companies’ sewage pollution in half by the end of the decade.”
ERG, the leading supplier of odour control systems and industrial gas cleaning & thermal systems, has been awarded the coveted King’s Award for Enterprise.
Welsh Water’s new artificial intelligence-driven tool, ORAI, has been shortlisted for three categories at the prestigious British Data Awards 2026 – underscoring the company’s commitment to using cutting-edge technology to deliver better outcome for customers.
Barhale has completed work on two separate Rapid Action Taskforce Spills projects it is carrying out for Severn Trent.
Hear how Scottish Water has completed its £235 million Ayrshire Glasgow Resilience Project - customers across Greater Glasgow, Ayrshire and East Renfrewshire will now benefit from a more secure and resilient water supply.
Hear how United Utilities is accelerating its investment to reduce spills from storm overflows across the Northwest.
Find out more about the remarkable career opportunities on offer at WSP - scroll down to watch the inspirational video.