What we are doing
The engineering project follows sea damage to the existing outfall and will involve installing a much longer pipe in its place.
This will mean any storm water releases from this outfall – which only happen rarely, as a last resort to prevent nearby homes and business flooding – are further out to sea and further from local beaches and bathing waters.
Crucially, this urgent work will take place alongside ongoing efforts by our Clean Rivers and Seas Task Force to drastically reduce our use of storm overflow.
What will the works involve?
Watch this video to see how the new pipeline will be installed:
Our work on the beach is scheduled to last for 22 weeks and the project is due to be completed by the end of 2024.
John Penicud, Director of Wastewater Operations at Southern Water, said “We would like to thank you for your support and patience whilst we undertake this essential work.”
Updates
Once the esplanade has been diverted in the middle of May, piling works will commence to create a working area adjacent to the sea wall and to provide sea defence during the works. Excavators will start working on the beach to dig the trench for the new outfall pipeline and a specialist dredger – the Razende Bol – will arrive from the Netherlands.
You may see other activity at sea, including tugs to help the dredger manoeuvre, and a survey vessel checking the excavation of the new trench. We will need to work on the beach when the tide is out and we have daylight, which will mean some early starts and late finishes. The area of the beach where we will be working will be cordoned off and marshals will be on hand to keep everyone safe.
Please keep dogs on a lead near our working area. We hope to be able to float the new pipeline into position at the end of June, but all our activities are very dependent upon the weather, so timings may change.
On Monday 11 March 2024 we will start setting up our temporary storage area adjacent to the esplanade. We’ll access this compound from inside Swalecliffe Wastewater Treatment Works so that vehicles don’t have to travel along the esplanade, which will remain open throughout the construction period. Construction of the pipeline will begin after Easter, starting inside our treatment works and working towards the beach.
Once the pipeline reaches the esplanade, installation will stop whilst a short diversion of the esplanade is constructed. This diversion will be in place from late April to September 2024. It will allow a section of the sea wall to be removed to install the pipeline which will be 3 metres wide and constructed of concrete, with a similar finish to the existing esplanade.
You may also hear us undertake periods of piling, so that we can create a working area at the sea wall and provide temporary sea defence during the works. Piling is scheduled to take place from 17 April 2024 for a period of 24 days and also from 14 June for 15 days. During these periods, the piling will be intermittent and last for approximately 30% of the working day.