Construction on a £2 million Wessex Water project to help enhance the health of the River Avon running through west Wiltshire has been wrapped up on schedule.
Teams have completed the installation of a new large below-ground storage tank in the centre of Bradford on Avon to reduce the impact of excessive rainwater on sewers.
Wessex Water project manager Alex Aulds said: “We’re pleased to have completed construction work on time as part of our £3 million a month investment towards reducing the instances of storm overflows operating across our region.
“The main construction work has been finished and our teams will continue to commission and test the new system throughout the summer.
“We would like to thank local customers and businesses for their patience, co-operation and understanding while this work was carried out.
“The section of the stone wall that was removed on Pound Lane to allow us to get to and from the work site has been rebuilt.
“We are also providing the funding for the reinstatement of that section of Victory Field, which will be overseen by Bradford on Avon Town Council. The perimeter fence will remain in place while their reinstatement work takes place.’’
Teams from Wessex Water began the project in September last year and completed it this month.
The Bath-based company says the seven-month scheme will help to reduce instances when diluted untreated wastewater is released automatically through storm overflows.
More than 160,000 litres of additional subterranean storage has been added within Victory Field in the market town.
The extra capacity will reduce the times the combined sewer system - that transfers both foul water from people’s homes and rainwater to a nearby water recycling centre for treatment - overflows to the river when there is a heavy storm.
Instead, the new tank will allow the stored water to then be safely returned to the sewer system and onward for treatment after the storm has receded.
The project is one of 13 being prioritised by the company before 2025 to tackle overflows that discharge most frequently or that carry the most significant environmental impact.
Additional improvements saw a mechanical screen installed to prevent any larger solid material from being discharged without having first gone through treatment.
During the construction, Wessex Water also supported Bradford Town Youth Football Club, which lost the use of a pitch while the work was taking place on the playing field.
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