Severn Trent Water’s £11 million investment to protect homes and businesses in South Leamington from sewer flooding will reach a crucial milestone at the end of this month.

Valued at over £10.8 million, this is the third and most extensive phase of the Leamington Sewerage Strategy, involving the construction of 4km of new sewers over a 22 month period. Severn Trent and its contractors NMCNomenca have developed a solution to protect more than 30 properties in South Leamington currently at risk of flooding from the sewer network at times of heavy rainfall. The proposals involve upgrading of the main sewers which are being replaced by much larger pipes to provide greater capacity, while connecting will also be enlarged under the proposals.

The design incorporates the construction of a storm relief structure (CSO) which will regulate flows in the main sewer at times of heavy rainfall, ensuring the new system does not become overloaded. Excess storm flows will be screened before they pass through a deep relief sewer to a massive storm pumping station. This will then lift stormwater so that it can gravitate through new sewers and discharge through a new outfall structure on the banks of the River Leam.

Work started in November 2012, with all work programmed for completion by September 2014.

Commenting on the work, Chris Keys, Senior Programme Engineer for Severn Trent Water, said:

“When complete, the sewer improvements will provide significant benefits for Leamington’s long term future. Beneath the streets of South Leamington, Victorian sewers have served customers for more than 160 years; they’ve grown old and must be replaced. The new sewers we’re installing are built to cope with the demands of modern society and to handle the increased levels of rainfall we now see. Following the improvements in earlier phases of our work, residents in the town are already protected from sewer flooding.”