Thames Water has started a £16m project to reduce pipe bursts in Haydon End, Swindon. The company is replacing the full-length of the 3km Haydon End Rising Main, which will follow a new route to ensure the network is resilient for future generations.
The project will be located at multiple dig sites and is scheduled to be completed by July 2024. The cycle path, route 45, will be closed from mid-August with diversions put in place.
Haydon End sewage pumping station and Rising Main were built in 1995-96 to transfer sewage to the inlet works at the western end of Swindon sewage treatment works. The area and population the pipe serves has grown significantly in the years since. In the last two years, the pipe has experienced several bursts with increasing frequency and due to the scattered nature of the bursts a full-length replacement of the pipe is required.
The replacement Rising Main is expected to bring wider resilience to the area and surrounding environment. Thames Water is working with the local authority (Swindon Borough Council) on improving the local cycle networks after the work is completed.
Andrew Scott, Head of Waste Treatment for the Thames Valley Region at Thames Water said:
“We’re excited to start work to replace the Haydon End Rising Main. We recognise the disruption recent bursts from this pipe have caused and the impact it has had on customers. That’s why we brought forward our plans to start this £16 million project now so we can ensure our network in the area is resilient to the pressures of climate change and population growth and we can provide a reliable service to our customers.”
Justin Tomlinson MP for North Swindon said:
“I very much welcome the £16m upgrade of the Haydon End sewer. As a fellow local resident, I absolutely understand the importance of this investment to stop future leaks and protect our local environment and wildlife. I will continue to work with Thames Water as this vital work progresses.”
Councillor Chris Watts, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for the Environment and Transport, said:
“The sewage leaks in North Swindon have caused disruption to local wildlife and residents in Taw Hill so I’m really pleased Thames Water is making this significant investment in its infrastructure to benefit the town.
“We have been working closely with Thames Water to facilitate the work and, because the new pipe will be going underneath the existing cycle path, we have agreed that the route is improved when the path is put back in place, which is great news for cyclists and pedestrians who use it.
“We know the closure will inconvenience people, but our Swindon Travel Choices team has worked hard to come up with some alternative routes and maps to help those that would normally use the route to navigate their way round it.”
