A sewer in Portland will have to be relined after defects including holes and fractures were found along its length.
The sewer, which is 120 years old, runs underneath High Street in the town and needs to be repaired urgently to avoid a collapse. It was investigated by Wessex Water who used CCTV sewer survey equipment to diagnose the problem.
Leanne Ford who is one of Wessex Water’s critical sewers technicians stated:
“This sewer has deteriorated to a point where it requires urgent repairs in order to prevent disruption that would occur if it collapsed in the future.
“Fortunately, despite the multitude of problems, we can give the sewer a new lease of life using a quick pioneering procedure which takes just one week.”
The liner repair is due to start on the 25th October and is expected to be completed around the 31st October. The work is taking place during the half-term holiday to reduce the impact on motorists.
Miss Ford further stated:
“Due to the sewer’s location in the centre of High Street and the narrow width of the road, it will not be possible for traffic to safely pass while specialist equipment is used to complete the essential repairs.
“We appreciate that this work will cause some inconvenience and ask people to be patient while we work as quickly as possible to complete it”.
New technology has made relining sewers the preferred choice in instances like this where excavation would take much longer and cause problems for the general public.