The Widemouth Bay sewer replacement
Across the South West our sewerage system is showing its age and is in need of upgrading. This was especially true of a rising main in Widemouth Bay, Bude. Following a number of bursts in the past few years, it had reached the end of it's working life and needed replacing.
What we did
We’ve changed the route of the rising main so it lies beneath roads and fields and installed a brand new pipe. This minimises the impact of any future maintenance, and is also part of our wider plans to make our network more efficient.
Following this pipe replacement, we decommissioned the pumping station at Helscott, which will mean we can use less energy getting sewage to the treatment works in Helebridge.
The rising main replacement was completed in 2024.
1. Preparation
- Set up traffic management and safety barriers
- Survey the site and mark up the existing services – we do not want to damage other utilities!
2. Digging down
We excavate down to the correct depth, creating a trench for the new pipe. We use diggers for most of the work, but areas around other services have to be dug out by hand to avoid damage.
3. Installing the pipe
- The new pipe is installed on suitable bedding to protect it
- It is then pressure tested to ensure it doesn't leak
4. Introduce flow into sewer
The new pipe is connected into the network and the sewer is brought into service.
5. Restore the working area
We backfill the trench with stone, restore the road surface and repaint any road markings before clearing the site and then the road is opened again as normal.