New £585,000 upgrade works set to begin to 'future‑proof' water supply in village
Anglian Water is set to kick off installation of 3km of new water pipes as part of a £585,000 investment programme to reduce bursts and keep water flowing for decades to come.
The work is to be carried out along The Heath and Gorse Hill Lane in Wellingore from May 18 and the water company will need to close several roads in the village at various times to keep staff safe, starting with The Heath from May 21.
The region is the driest part of the country, but one of the fastest growing and new infrastructure like this is needed to make sure there is enough water to go round for the future, explains Anglian Water.
If everything runs smoothly, the work to install the new pipework is be expected to be completed by August.
Megan Sperryn, Customer Experience Specialist for the project, said they are spending £348 million over the next five years to renew more than 1,100 kilometres of water pipes across the East of England, focusing on the pipes that need it most to reduce leaks and keep water supplies reliable.
“To do this work safely, we’ll need to fully close some roads when we’re installing the pipe as the local roads are too narrow for us to work while still allowing traffic to go past our teams and the dig site. We’d encourage all residents and road users to visit our webpage to view the details of all our planned roadworks.”
Residents who live within the closure will still be able to access their home, but there may be short waits at times while the team makes it safe for cars to pass.
Anglian Water reassured customers their water and sewerage services should not be affected, and if the water company does need to switch off the water supply for a short time, advance warning will be given. Local residents can access full details about the roadworks plan and diversion routes by visiting anglianwater.co.uk/your-local-area/report-an-issue and searching for Wellingore.
The Heath will be closed from May 21 to June 1, followed by traffic lights and road closure on June 2-3. The Heath and High Dike will close June 4-21. The Heath (off Pottergate) will close June 22-July 2. Then Gorse Hill Lane will be closed from July 3 to August 7.