Press Release from South East Water:
9 March 2010
A £75,000 water main scheme is being planned to secure water supplies in Eastbourne and also protect local businesses from flooding caused by bursts.
South East Water is to lay a new 300-metre-long section of water main in Grove Road, Eastbourne, later next month. The new, more robust, six-inch diameter water main will not only protect supplies for customers in the town, but will be less prone to bursts.
That is crucial as with an increasing number of bursts on the existing nine-inch cast iron water main – it has burst five times in ten years - there are major interruptions to customers’ water supplies, as well as some localised flooding to businesses and disruption to traffic while emergency repairs are carried out.
Graham Webb, Infrastructure Development Manager, explained: “The existing water main forms a strategic part of our network in Eastbourne town centre. However, while it has done sterling work to serve the town, it is now over 70-years-old and is clearly coming to the end of its working life.
“With an increasing number of bursts - including two in April and May 2009 which caused flooding to the basements of nearby businesses – it is vital we act now to ensure that not only our customers’ water supplies are protected, but also local traders too.”
With South East Water’s water main in the middle of the one-way, busy Grove Road shopping area, the company has decided to use a much quicker construction technique called slip-lining – this has effectively halved the construction time from eight weeks to four weeks.
Instead of excavating a 300-metre-long trench to install the new water main, a series of pits will be dug along Grove Road. The new, more robust plastic main will then be pushed underground and inside the old cast iron main, before being connected up to the rest of the water mains network.
However, while pedestrian access will be unaffected and restricted access will be provided to residents and businesses in Grove Road itself, the road will be temporarily closed to through traffic throughout construction. This will instead be diverted up Old Orchard Road.
Graham Webb explained: “The existing water main is right in the middle of the highway. Any construction – even using no-dig technology - will involve many activities, some excavations and the movement of pipes and machinery. For the protection of motorists and also our workforce, we have to temporarily close the road to through traffic.
“However, we will be providing restricted vehicle access to those residents and businesses who live and work in Grove Road, to help make sure that it is still business as usual.”
Work to replace the section of water main will start on Monday 19 April 2010 and is due for completion by Friday 14 May 2010. The timing of the work, and the diversionroute, has been agreed with Highways officers to happen after the Christmas and Easter trading periods, but before the busier summer tourist season when a number of community, retail and sporting events take place.
The timing is also critical to South East Water as it wants to replace the water main before it sees the effect of peak demands for water from customers during hotter summer weather, which could place the existing water main under increasing strain.
Graham Webb added: “We fully appreciate this essential work is on a busy one-way system and a popular shopping area, and so some disruption is inevitable.
“However, South East Water and its contractor Morgan Est are committed to working with local businesses so we can deal with any issues or concerns they may have. In particular, we will be working with them to allow vehicle access, such as for deliveries, as much as we possibly can.
“We would like to apologise in advance for any inconvenience but hope our customers, and indeed local businesses, understand how important it is that we tackle this work.”
