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High praise from South West Water
The water main supplies water from Tottiford Reservoir on Dartmoor to the Torbay water supply zone. The burst, which occurred under the River Bovey at Heathfield, near Newton Abbot, was difficult to access and in the centre of an environmentally sensitive area.
It was agreed that the least disruptive construction method would be an open cut insertion with the protection of strategically placed cofferdams.
John Marks, Environment Agency, said: “I would like to commend all May Gurney staff for the high level of liaison, co-operation and expertise in completing what has been a complex and highly environmentally sensitive operation.”
Andrew Bakere, Devon Wildlife Trust, added: “The area where the water main crossed the river was reinstated and landscaped very well. The detail involved in terms of contouring and the revetments will be difficult to see once the area re-vegetates. The wildlife seems to have been minimally effected by the operations which speaks volumes on how well the project was handled.”
A number of environmental measures were taken to protect the surrounding area and river. Biodegradable hydraulic oil was used in machines to ensure minimal risk of pollution or contamination. And electrical submersible pumps, powered by a centrally located generator, with fuel stored off-site, minimised environmental risk.
Where the water was pumped from the cofferdams, it was de-silted before percolating back into the watercourse. The consolidated silt was then recycled for backfilling during the reinstatement works.
Re-usable bog mats were used to form a 250-metre access road across the floodplain, eradicating the need for an aggregate track and the problems associated with disposal of such material.
All materials used to restore the riverbank and working areas were sourced locally, and 80 willow and alder saplings were planted to complete the reinstatement.
Gavin Scarr Hall, managing director utility services, concluded: “Although this was an emergency repair on our customer’s assets, high regard was given to the potential environmental impact of our works. I’m delighted that we achieved ‘waste neutral’, and that two important environmental stakeholders congratulated us on our approach to this challenging project.”
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