Workers on track to complete repair on 60s sewer
13 July 2010
Engineers will be using innovative technology to repair a sewer which runs alongside the Bristol to London railway line.
Wessex Water said it was using ‘no dig’ technology to safeguard the 50 year old sewer in Corsham to avoid carrying out excavations which would have been costly and involved the closure of the busy line.
Barry Burtenshaw, a Wessex Water engineer, said: “The ageing sewer has become prone to corrosion and we need to repair it to ensure it can continue providing a safe, reliable service.
“No dig technology allows us to do all this work through a manhole with the help of robots. This means that carrying out work on a sewer in a challenging location like this is feasible with minimal disruption.”
Wessex Water recently carried out a CCTV survey of the pipe which revealed that it was in need of repair.
Work will begin on Monday 19 July to clean the sewer using high pressure jetting equipment. Once this is complete the sewer will be relined.
This involves inserting a liner into the pipe to provide a new protective structural lining to the existing sewer.
The majority of this scheme will be carried out at night to minimise disruption to trains and local residents.
However it will be necessary to close Lypiatt Road on Monday 19 July for up to two weeks while workers gain access to the sewer through a manhole in the area.
The closure on Lypiatt Road will be in place for a 100m stretch from the junction with Prospect . A diversion route will take motorists along Dicketts Road.
Mr Burtenshaw said: “Staff had to complete special training to ensure that they can safely access the railway line to complete the work.
“In addition we will be cleaning the sewer using the quietest machine of its kind in the country to ensure any disruption to residents is kept to a minimum.”
Nearly 650m of sewer will be relined during the essential work which will safeguard the sewer for the next 50 years.