Preparations are underway to begin work in Deal to renew a number of ageing water mains across the town.
The work, starting on July 11, will future-proof water supplies by replacing pipes that are reaching the end of their working life, to help make sure there is a continued supply of high-quality water for the local community.
This replacement scheme also presents a great opportunity to identify and remove any risk of lead in the network, further ensuring a quality water supply for Southern Water customers.
Most water mains themselves are made of cast iron, ductile iron or polyethylene, however, there may be lead fittings or pipes between the main and the properties. Exposure to lead can be harmful to health, so we are committed to keeping lead levels in drinking water low.
Kevin Fausset, Senior Project Manager for Southern Water, said: “This project is great news for the people of Deal, because it’s more than just the replacement of water mains. While undertaking this work we will be proactively searching for and removing old lead elements within the network.
“We will be replacing the water mains along with any ‘communication’ pipes which run from the water main up to the boundary of a property that are lead based. In addition, while we’re doing the work, if we find that a customer’s ‘supply’ pipe contains lead then we can replace this free of charge as well if they’d like us to. This is normally the responsibility of the property owner.
“This is a trial and if it is successful, we’ll scope to undertake similar schemes in other areas where higher levels of lead in the network is predicted.”
Guy Franklin, Head of Water Quality Compliance, Southern Water, adds: “Deal is a historic town and with large numbers of properties built pre 1970 we know that it is likely that there is lead present – especially customers’ supply pipes.
“Stringent procedures are standard practice across the UK and are undertaken by all water companies to minimise impact of lead pipe work on water quality. However, this opportunity to remove lead from supply is not one that should be overlooked.”
Southern Water and Clancy Docwra will be working together on this scheme and are doing everything possible to minimise impact on residents and visitors. Work will be carried out road by road rather than all at once, minimising impact to each road to around two weeks. The total length of the scheme is 24 months. Southern Water apologises for the disruption this work will cause.
Notes to Editors:
Further details of the scheme can be found at Replacing old water mains in Deal (southernwater.co.uk)
For more information about lead and drinking water, visit our dedicated webpage.
If a street is affected, customers in the surrounding area will receive a letter two weeks before work starts, with detailed information about what it means for them.
Water supply for some homes may be interrupted for a short time as a result of works. If so 48 hours notice will always be given.
Southern Water is working closely with Kent County Council Highways to minimise the impact on traffic in Deal, particularly during the busy holiday periods. You can check which roads are affected across the town using the One Network website.
On 16 June a customer drop-in session took place at Deal Town Hall to allow residents to talk to the teams at Southern Water and Clancy and ask any questions. If people missed this session then they can contact Southern Water on 0330 303 0368 quoting reference PRN 730010, or by using our online form at Replacing old water mains in Deal (southernwater.co.uk).
Streets included in the scheme:
|
Street name |
Street name |
Street name |
|
Alfred Row |
Farrier Street |
Farrier Street |
|
Alfred Square |
Five Step Alley |
Ranelagh Road |
|
Anchor Lane |
George Alley |
Robert Street |
|
Ark Lane |
George Street |
Sandown Road |
|
Beach Street |
Gilford Road |
Silver Street |
|
Beaconsfield Road |
Golden Street |
Sondes Road |
|
Blenheim Road |
Golf Road |
South Court |
|
Brewer Street |
Griffin Street |
South Street |
|
Bridge Road |
High Street |
St Andrew’s Road |
|
Broad Street |
Hope Road |
St David’s Road |
|
Bulwark Road |
Ivy Place |
St George’s Passage |
|
Cannon Street |
King Street |
St George’s Road |
|
Capstan Row |
Market Street |
St Patrick’s Close |
|
Century Walk |
Middle Street |
St Patrick’s Road |
|
Chapel Street |
Nelson Street |
Stanhope Road |
|
Clanwilliam Road |
New Street |
Stanley Road |
|
Clarence Place |
North Street |
The Avenue |
|
College Road |
Northcote Road |
The Marina |
|
Coppin Street |
Northwall Road |
Union Road |
|
Crown Court |
Oak Street |
Victoria Parade |
|
Deal Castle Road |
Out Downs |
Victoria Road |
|
Dolphin Street |
Park Street |
Water Street |
|
Douglas Terrace |
Peter Street |
Wellington Road |
|
Duke Street |
Portebello Court |
West Street |
|
Enfield Road |
Prince Of Wales Terrace |
Western Road |
|
Exchange Street |
Princes Street |
For further information on lead visit Lead in water (southernwater.co.uk)
Deal Pathfinder Project:
As a result of a recent report, Southern Water has a separate works scheme ongoing in Deal supporting plans to alleviate flooding and pollution.
The report from Deal Water Action Taskforce (Deal-WAT) – co-chaired by Natalie Elphicke MP and Southern Water – shares findings of technical investigations to find out why the area, in particular Albert Road, has been flooding regularly over the years. Work for this started on 6 June. More details can be found here