A Nottinghamshire village is having 4.6km of water pipes replaced following reports of leaks. Severn Trent is working on a £1.8m project in Flintham, near Newark, to replace the village's aging pipe network.
The upgrades to the pipe system are hoped to reduce the risk of customer supply issues, such as through incidents like burst pipes, and ensure that the network can meet future demands of the village as it continues to grow. The works in Spring Lane began on January 16 and will take place in three phases.
The next phase will see the works moved to Inholms Road/Main Street and Town End Lane before moving onto the final phase on Woods Lane, which is expected to end in mid-June. Speaking of the works, retired David Chalmers, 76, said: "It's caused massive disruption to the village. To get into the village now from East Bridgford you have to go all around the adjoining villages to get here."
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Mr Chalmers explained that it would have been nice if some additional local transport had been offered to residents to make it easier to avoid the blocked roads, such as "a free shuttle" whilst works were ongoing. However, he understands that the works are necessary for the area.
He added: "There's been a lot of issues with water pressure from down this end of the village, but nothing chronic." Retired Lin O'Neill, 70, said: "Over the years the pipes have required some work each year. I'm not sure that the previous pipe was big enough to provide for everyone."
Speaking of the changes the new pipes will make, such as a stronger and more consistent water pressure, she added: "If the water stays on that's fine, that's all we want and decent pressure."
Retired Nikki Roper, 66, said: "I hope they don't make too much of a mess and when they are done I hope someone comes and retarmacs the road. I'm sure it's going to be a pain with all of the works, but the pipes are old and we do seem to have a lot of leaks at the top end of the village, so surely there's a problem."
Severn Trent recently held a drop in session for the village, so that they could speak to residents directly and let them know more about the scheme and the benefits is will bring to the community.
Rebecca Ball, community communications officer at Severn Trent, said: "In order to make sure that we keep our teams safe while they deliver this important upgrade, there will be some road closures and temporary traffic lights in place. We understand that roadworks can be really frustrating, and we will be working hard to complete the upgrades and have everything back to normal as quickly as possible."
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