Improvements in your area
We're currently carrying out the following long-term improvements.
Reservoir repairs in Walthamstow
We’re repairing the embankments inside two reservoirs in Walthamstow. To complete our work, the water level in the reservoirs will be lowered so we can access the embankments safely. We need to do this work during the winter to reduce the impact on birds and wildlife at the site.
Key dates
- Monday 15 November – starting work and setting up the site
- Late November/December – work to protect existing services at the site
- January 2022 – Lower the reservoir levels to allow work to take place
- April 2022 – Repairs completed
How will this affect you?
We’ll be working Monday to Friday from 7.30am until 5.30pm.
We'll use the access gate on Coppermill Lane to reservoir 5, so there'll be increased traffic during the construction work but we’ll do everything we can to reduce this.
Upgrading Slough Treatment Works
Upgrading Slough Sewage Treatment Works
We’re upgrading Slough Sewage Treatment Works (STW) to increase capacity, enhance performance and improve the quality of water that’s returned to the environment.
This will involve upgrading the existing plant, building new treatment tanks, and putting in new treatment technology.
We’re also building a new below ground outfall pipeline to take some of the treated water and storm flows from the STW to the River Thames.
Why are you carrying out this work?
Wastewater entering the STW is forecast to increase by around 10% over the next 10 years. This means that we need to increase the capacity of the site now to meet the needs of the community in the future.
We also need to improve the quality of the water that’s returned to the environment and reduce flows in the network of ditches that take flows from Slough STW to the River Thames.
What are the benefits of this work?
As well as treating more wastewater as the area grows, these works will:
- Improve the quality of water that’s returned to the environment
- Reduce water industry related flood risk along local watercourses
- Ensure that environmental flows are retained in the local watercourses
- Reduce odour around Slough STW
- Improve the resilience of Slough STW to reduce pollution risks
When are you working?
We’re developing designs at the moment and expect to start construction early in 2023. We expect the work to be completed and operational by early 2025.
Are you doing any surveys before the main building work?
Yes. To help us with the design, we'll be doing ground investigations along the potential pipeline route. These works are expected to start in late October 2021 and will be completed by early December 2021.
- We’ll be starting our ground investigations from 26 October for around 5 weeks
- We’ll be working in 2-3 places at any one time, each site will be in place for 3-4 days
- Each site will be relatively small and securely fenced off while we work
- We’ll be working at these sites 8am – 5pm weekdays
- We’ll do everything we can to keep disruption to a minimum
We’ll be drilling a borehole at each of our locations to assess the soil, clay or gravel at different depths. Afterwards, we’ll leave a small secure cover in place to let us monitor these boreholes. These will be removed, and the area returned to normal in 2023. If we need to work beyond this, we’ll write to you.
How can I stay updated?
In early 2022, when our designs are more developed, we'll be holding drop-in sessions for the local community. We’ll be sure to write to local residents and businesses closer to this time with details for these sessions.
How can I find out more?
You can find out more about the project along with our proposed pipeline route in this information pack.
Please check back here for further updates as the work progresses. If you live in the local area, we’ll be writing to you about upcoming drop-in sessions soon.
If you have any further questions in the meantime, please contact us on 0800 316 9800 and quote reference number BB975460.
Improving water quality at Heath Lake
Heath Lake is a 2.8 hectare lake within an area of woodland and heath, north west of Crowthorne.
It’s the only acid lake in Berkshire and has historically supported several rare aquatic plants. A designated Site of Special Scientific Interest, it’s owned and managed by Wokingham Borough Council.
The lake and its surrounding woodland provide the local community with superb access to nature, with a variety of walking routes through the lake and nature reserve.
What work are you carrying out?
Housing development around the lake, as well as the five surface water sewer outfalls that now flow into it, have impacted the water quality of the lake. Over the years, silt carried into the lake by surface water and plant matter breaking down on the lakebed have caused a build-up of sediment.
We’re working with Wokingham Borough Council to remove this build-up. This will allow rare plants that have been lost to re-grow and improve the flora and fauna of the lake.
We’re also working to create a plan that will help us maintain the water quality of the lake in future. As part of this effort, we’re planning to install a small number of below-ground silt traps to catch sediment in our surface water sewers before it enters the lake.
We’re also looking at ways to create wildlife habitats and new viewpoints for the local community along the lake edge.
When will you be working?
We expect the work to start in Autumn 2022 and be completed by Spring 2023.
How will this work affect me?
We’ll do everything we can to minimise disruption to the local community when we carry out this work next year.
As work progresses there may be a slight increase in traffic in the local area. We’re looking at ways to reduce the number of vehicles we use to avoid this as much as possible.
During our work on the lake there may be temporary restrictions on public access around parts of the lake’s edge and in the nature reserve. This is to allow vehicles to access the area safely. We’ll keep temporary access restrictions around the lake to a minimum.
The nature of the work means that there may be times when noisy activity is taking place. We’ll keep the local community updated on our planned hours of activity and do everything we can to minimise disruption.
How can I stay updated?
Please check back here for updates on our plans as they progress.
We’ll write to residents with details ahead of the work taking place nearer the time. In the meantime, you can find more information in our newsletter.
We held an online presentation for local stakeholders on 11 November 2021.
If you have any questions about our plans, you can email Mark Mathews, our Project Stakeholder Lead, or give us a call on 0118 946 7809.
For any other queries about Heath Lake please contact Wokingham Borough Council. You can give them a call on 0118 934 2016 (select Option 2). You can also send them an email.
New water main in Greenwich
New water main in Greenwich
We’re laying a new water main to transport water across East London, running from Deptford to the Greenwich Peninsula. Around 4km in length, this new water main will serve both existing and new customers in the area.
Where will you be working?
The path of the water main will take it across Greenwich Park, and then along:
- Park Row
- Trafalgar Road
- Old Woolwich Road
- Lassell Street
- Banning Street
- Pelton Road
- Christchurch Way
- Telcon Road
- Tunnel Avenue
- Millennium Way
- Blackwall Lane
The water main will then connect into our existing network by the O2 at Tunnel Avenue and at Millennium Way.
When are you working?
The first part of the water main will be laid across Greenwich Park, from Croom's Hill to Park Row access gate. This first phase is scheduled to take place between 6 September 2021 – 28 February 2022.
The whole water main will take approximately 30 months to complete.
How will this work affect me?
We’ll do everything we can to minimise any disruption to you while we complete this work. Temporary road closures may become necessary to ensure we can operate safely. We’ll keep you informed as work progresses - please continue to check back here for further updates.
How can I find out more?
If you have questions about this work and would like to speak with someone, please call us on 0800 316 9800 and quote reference number BB70030835.
Improvements in Dartmouth Park
Our work in Dartmouth Park
We’re carrying out upgrade and improvement work to Dartmouth Park Reservoir. This will also fix the problem with paths cracking in the park.
How you're affected
Throughout our work the east side of Dartmouth Park will be closed, between the Dartmouth Park Hill entrance, the children’s play area and the park entrance on Poynings Road. The area of park off Bickerton Road will remain open. The basketball and games court will only be accessible from Bickerton Road.
The children’s play area will be removed. We’re working with Islington Council to provide a new play area once our work is complete. This will include replacing some play equipment.
We’ll do our best to limit disruption from noise and vehicle movements. Your water supply won’t be affected by this work.
Take a look at this video to learn more about what we’re doing.
When we're working
We’ll start at the end of June 2021 for about nine months. We’ll be working Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm.
Biomethane installation at Deephams
Biomethane installation at Deephams Sewage Treatment Works
This project will allow us to use the leftover gas from our sewage treatment process to heat local homes with renewable energy. It will also be a big help in our plans to become a carbon negative business by 2040 with the first milestone: net zero 2030.
Where will you be working?
The installation will involve some minor work in a small area in the southeast corner of the site, near one of our site gates on Ardra Way.
When are you working?
Our work to install and test the unit will take around 8 months to complete. We’ll start work in August 2021 and be finished in spring 2022.
Our usual working times will be between 7.30 am and 4.30 pm on weekdays. We’re not intending to work any weekends during installation. However, there may need to be some weekend working between January and March 2022, when we test the new equipment.
How will this work affect me?
We’ll do everything we can to minimise any disruption to you while we carry out this work. Although we are working close to the southern boundary of the site we don't expect our work to affect any of our neighbours.
The work may cause a slight increase to traffic in and around the site and along Adra Way. However, construction traffic for this project will be unlikely to pass through the main site entrance on Pickett’s Lock Lane.
How can I find out more?
Learn more about the work in our information pack.
Seven Sisters Road to Myddleton Avenue
Protecting water supplies from Seven Sisters Road to Myddleton Avenue
Since October 2020, we’ve been working hard to rehabilitate 600m of our 36-inch water mains between Seven Sisters Road and Finsbury Park Road in Hackney, London. We’re using a technique called ‘relining’ which involves pulling 600m of new pipework through the current pipe to reline it.
We recently sent customers living in affected areas letter informing of a delay to our work and outlining the improvements we're making, along with how we'll be working to minimise disruption.
Please always check here for the most up-to-date information.
Why relining and not replacement?
We’ve been using these pipes for over 100 years, and they’ve served us well. But we need to carry out this essential work so we can safely transport our world-class water to your taps for the next 100 years.
Pipe replacement can be very disruptive to homes and communities, resulting in long road closures and noisy construction work. We use relining as an innovative alternative to minimise the impact of our work on you and keep water flowing for the future.
Where are you working?
We’re aiming to complete our work over the following two phases:
Phase 1
We started work in October 2020 and have had to extend our estimated completion date to the end of March 2022. During this time, we have successfully relined 500m of the 600m of the water main between 188 Seven Sisters Road and the northern end of Finsbury Park Road. However, in the final stage of the work, we encountered complications which mean that we cannot continue the relining in the same way.
To rehabilitate the remaining stretch of pipe between Blackstock Road and Finsbury Park Road, we will now install 20m of steel liner and reinforce the remaining pipework by relining the joints. This work will be completed by our team inside the pipe.
This new approach has now resulted in a further extension with an aim for our work in phase 1 to be completed at the end of March 2022.
We will continue to have sites in place at:
1 – 11 Finsbury Park Road
Phase 2
We’re currently reviewing our plans for phase 2 of the project and we’ll write to customers for phase 2 closer to the time to ensure you are kept up to date.
Our work on phase 2 will not start until phase 1 is complete. However, you might see us in the area for short periods of time undertaking some initial survey work and repairs. We’ll write to customers for phase 2 closer to the time to ensure you are kept up to date.
What does this mean for me?
The work will be carried out in two phases. Phase 1 started in October 2020 and completion is now estimated for the end of March 2022. All work on Phase 1 will be completed before work on Phase 2 is started.
Currently in phase 1:
- The parking bays outside 1-11 Finsbury Park Road will be unavailable until the end of March 2022.
- We'll write to those immediately around our sites if we need temporarily suspend further spaces on Finsbury Park Road.
There may be some localised parking suspensions on Finsbury Park Road in the future if we need to get large equipment to and from our site. We’ll write to customers on the road closer to the time if these suspensions are needed.
Throughout our work, pedestrians and emergency vehicles will have full access to all roads. Bin collections will continue as normal.
Our onsite teams will update those immediately around our sites if any changes are required.
Will this work affect my business?
We’ll do all we can to reduce disruption while we work, but we understand your business may sometimes be affected. Learn more about what to do if this happens.
How can I find out more?
If you have questions about our work and wish to speak with someone, please call us on 0800 316 9800, selecting option one and quoting the reference number BB115405. Alternatively, you can also email us.
Upgrading Beckton Sewage Treatment Works
Upgrading Beckton Sewage Treatment Works
We’re upgrading the site to ensure it can treat the sewage of up to 4.4 million customers and accommodate flows from the Thames Tideway Tunnel, which is due for completion in 2024.
We expect the work to start in March 2021 and to be completed by the end of March 2023.
How will the work affect me?
We'll carry out our works on site between 7am and 7pm Monday to Friday and 7am and 1pm on Saturdays. We may occasionally need to work outside these hours to complete a specific activity, but this will be kept to a minimum and we don't anticipate this affecting local residents.
There may be some increased site traffic into the site and along Eric Clarke Lane. We'll manage this via the A14 and Jenkins Lane.
How can I learn more?
Look at our information pack for more details. We’ll write to keep businesses and residents in the area updated with any changes to our work.
Find details of short-term improvements in your area.
