More than £1 million has been invested in new infrastructure to protect homes on Bath Road between Melksham and Shaw from the threat of sewer flooding.
The complex three-month scheme, completed earlier this month on private land, saw Wessex Water install 300,000 litres of storage pipes in land between Shaw and Melksham, that will store excess water during heavy rainfall to prevent the system from being overwhelmed.
The company has layered 170-metre-long pipes to provide up to 320,000 litres of extra capacity to the sewer network. The water will then be returned to the sewer network for treatment at a nearby water recycling centre.
A small group of residents were shown around the site and the work at the start of October.
A Wessex Water spokesperson said, “We’ve invested more than £1 million in Melksham to protect customers’ homes and the local environment from flooding.
“More than 300,000 litres of storage has been added to the sewer network which will hold excess water during heavy rainfall to prevent the system from being overwhelmed and potentially flooding nearby homes and businesses.
“The three-month project was completed by sister company YTL Construction UK, with our specialist teams ensuring local trees, animals and nearby historic features, as well as avoiding existing gas, electricity communications equipment nearby.’’
During the works, underground gas and communications equipment were avoided and specialist archaeologists and arboriculturalists helped protect trees, hedgerows and wildlife.
The scheme follows flooding last year in Melksham and surrounding areas, when many local homes and businesses were damaged.
