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Meeting with Severn Trent May 1st 2018 Report

Note : Information as supplied by Chris Humphreys, Community Communications Advisor
Severn Trent Birmingham Resilience Project
Good afternoon everyone,
Report detailed below, following an extremely useful and fruitful meeting with Chris Humphreys from Severn Trent.

Introduction

Severn Trent (ST) are laying a new 26km pipeline from the River Severn in Stourport to the Water Treatment Works in Frankley. Once completed, this will provide a (temporary) alternate water supply to parts of Birmingham.

This will allow ST to carry out essential maintenance work on the Elan Valley Aquaduct (EVA).

At the moment, there is enough water in the ‘system’ to allow ST to turn off the water flow from three to five days. Once the pipeline is built, the alternative supply can be used for up to 50 days, every two years.
This will allow ST time to carry our much needed repair to the EVA( an original Victorian construction)

In agreement with the Environment Agency, ST can only draw water between October and March – IF the water levels are high enough in the River Severn.
This is allowable once every two years, for a up to 50 days.

If the water dips below agreed levels, ST will stop drawing water.

This work is part of a wider project costing over £300m.
This total cost includes the proposals to repair and replace damaged parts of the EVA.

ST have had a busy schedule of works over the past 12 months since the first ground breaking :

  • Top soil has been stripped across the whole route
  • 26 km of pipe has been strung out across the landscape
  • 17km of pipe has been laid to date in the ground
  • Pipes are in three different lengths and weights :- 17m – 5.5 ton, 13m – 3.8 ton, 6m – 1.8 ton
  • Each pipe is numbered and given a GPS reference once buried in the ground
  • Approximately (34) road crossing have been tunnelled under or dug across
  • The M5 has also been tunnelled under, plus a railway track and several major roads

Work is ongoing on the Intake Structure, a Break Pressure Tank (Putney Lane)and Pumping Station (Lickhill, Stourport)to complete.

There is remainder of the pipe to lay, test procedures to be carried out throughout the system, before finally reinstating the land.

ST state the intention to consider the environment very seriously:

  • All land affected will be reinstated once the work is finished – includes paths, bridle paths, hedgerows, fields etc.
  • Hedgerows will be replanted like for like or with a native species
  • For every single tree removed, ST will plant three in its place (3 for 1 planting regime)
  • Silt traps ( green net fencing around a newly dug ditch or pit) have been placed in fields to catch silt ‘run off’ which could affect future crops if not removed.
  • A number of occasions have occurred, whereby work has stopped in consideration of local wildlife, allowing nesting kestrels and curlews to nest then migrate, exclusion zones were created around the sites.
  • adger setts have been moved, working stopped, until the families have taken to their new abode and surroundings.

Link for further information

https://www.stwater.co.uk/in-my-area/planned-improvements/birminghamresilenceproject

Regards,

John Shaw
Parish Councillor

Note : Information as supplied by Chris Humphreys

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