Water pipeline works its way through Berkshire

A massive water pipeline is steadily working its way through Berkshire and on target to finish later this year – despite overcoming challenges posed by nesting birds, a wet winter, road crossings and even four-legged racing stars at Royal Ascot.

Nearly half of South East Water’s 17 kilometre long, 1200mm (48 inch) diameter pipeline has now been laid between Bray Water Treatment Works, near Maidenhead, and the company’s two service reservoirs in Swinley Forest, Berkshire.

The company and its contractors, Holleran Ltd, are currently tunnelling a section of the pipeline under the A308 Windsor to Maidenhead Road. The specialist no-dig technique, where a machine literally digs the tunnel 4.5 metres below the road, means traffic disruption on this major part of the highway network is avoided.

Mainlaying work will also soon start in Forest Road, Winkfield Lane, Drift Road and Forest Green Road in the Winkfield area, and from Coningsby Lane through to Fifield, while some sections of the new main have already been laid in the Bray area at Banhams Farm.

Further mainlaying work in Priory Road, Swinley Road and Church Road, Ascot, is due to start immediately following Ascot Week, on the 23 June 2008, again to avoid major traffic disruption during the four-day racing festival.

Gordon Percy, Engineering Manager at South East Water, said: “We are now entering an incredibly busy phase of the pipeline’s construction. In many areas we’ve already carried out the ecology work to protect nesting birds and other species, while local residents will have no doubt seen site clearance work and then large blue pipes suddenly appearing across their communities.

“We are deliberately working at a number of different sites along the pipeline route as this means we can complete it on time, and also minimise disruption to our customers, road traffic and wildlife. Given good weather this summer, we are still on course to finish this vital scheme by December 2008.

“We’ve also been delighted to establish good working relationships with the local authorities, residents and also their community representatives during construction.”

The pipeline consists of 1,250 sections of welded steel pipe, each measuring 13.5 metres long and weighing four tons.

The new water main will allow South East Water to immediately transfer an extra 23 million litres of water a day, and help the company provide drinking water supplies to the 300,000 households already in the company’s supply area, as well as new homes planned for the future.

The strategic pipeline is a major part of South East Water’s planned investment up to 2010 to help protect long term water supplies, and is supported by both the company’s regulators, Ofwat and the Environment Agency.