Work to replace nearly nine miles of water mains in the Chantry and Stoke Park area of Ipswich has passed the half-way point.
Anglian Water Engineers started the £4.5m project in April – and are on target to complete the work by the end of spring next year.
The scheme to replace 14km of water pipeline is one of the largest investment projects the water company will undertake in Suffolk in between now and the end of the decade.
Mark Pryke, Anglian Water’s Network Manager for Suffolk, said: “Work has been completed on Belstead Road, Kingfisher Avenue, Wren Avenue, Robin Drive, London Road, Scrivener Drive and Sprites Lane. Work on Hawthorn Drive is due to be finished by the end of the month, closely followed by work on Sheldrake Drive.
“The next phase of the project will see us moving into Tern Road, Cambridge Drive and Fitzwilliam Close with work in Maple Close starting after Christmas.
“Everything we do is designed to minimise disruption for our customers, minimise our carbon footprint and impact on the environment. That’s why we’ve had four engineering teams working across the area at the same time which has allowed us to crack on with the scheme and get things back to normal as quickly as possible for local residents and customers.
“We’re using advanced main-laying techniques wherever the ground conditions are good enough.
“In some places we have needed to dig trenches, but 95% of any material we’ve excavated has been reused to backfill the trenches, meaning we’ve been able to cut down on lorry movements in the area and it’s better for the environment too.”
The scheme is replacing pipework which has reached the end of its useful life.
Mr Pryke added: “Historically, there have been problems in the area with customers noticing discoloration of the water. This scheme is an important step in finding a permanent solution for our customers.
“By doing such a thorough job now and laying new sections of pipe we will minimise the chance of discoloration in the future.
“We’re really grateful to the local residents and road users for their patience while we complete the scheme. Inevitably, with a project of this scale there may be some disruption, and we’re sorry about this.”
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