Work begins next week (Monday, August 5) on a £2 million Wessex Water sewerage scheme in the heart of Warminster.
Diversions have been put in place for traffic to avoid the road closure in Weymouth Street during the seven-month project.
The utility company is to sink a huge overflow storage tank on land next to Weymouth Street to reduce the amount of untreated sewage that flows into Warminster’s rivers during heavy storms.
Project manager, Greg Andrews said: “This is a hefty investment towards helping to protect the environment in and around Warminster and it will dramatically reduce the impact heavy storms have on overwhelming the sewer system and causing overflows to operate.
“Overflows are designed as a relief valve to protect homes from flooding - if there is too much rainfall in the system, the overflow automatically discharges into watercourses, such as rivers.
“By holding this excess mix of water back, the tank can reduce incidents of a nearby storm overflow operating automatically.’’
The tank will be sunk below ground in a small car park next to the Ottoman Kebab House towards the north end of Weymouth Street.
It will hold the excess water from sewers during storms. Once the rainfall has subsided it will then release it to a water recycling plant.
The scheme will enhance the protection of the nearby Were (Swan River), a tributary of the 28-mile River Wylye that runs through Wiltshire.
It continues Wessex Water’s push towards removing the automatic discharge of sewer water that hasn’t yet been treated.
A northbound single-lane closure for through traffic will be in operation on Weymouth Street, at the Morrison’s Petrol Station roundabout during the course of the project, with a diversion in place, and access down Weymouth Street for southbound through traffic from the B3414 maintained.
The first road closure began on Wednesday (July 31) and lasts until Friday, August 2. There will be no access in both directions between the High Street/Market Place junction and the Morrisons Roundabout.
The second road closure begins on Monday, August 5 and will last until Sunday, March 2 2025. There will be no access to Market Place from Morrisons roundabout northbound but there will be access from the Market Place junction to Weymouth Street southbound.
Chinns car park will be accessible this way but the car park closer to Warminster town park will not be open during this time. All businesses will remain open and accessible on foot.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here