Sewer works at Appley in Ryde may be extended as there are concerns that further sections of the buried pipe could collapse.
Southern Water says that engineers have successfully overcome major engineering challenges posed by the geology and location of the collapsed sewer and have now completed the original repairs.
It was back in January of this year that a large sinkhole appeared, prompting investigation works to identify the cause. It soon became evident that a 1-metre wide sewer, which carries all of Ryde’s wastewater, had collapsed some 10 metres underground.
Now, almost 10 months on from the discovery of the sinkhole, roads remain closed, car parks shut and businesses face continued disruption. Visitors to the area have noted the rancid smell of raw sewage as it is pumped into the nearby pumping station and onwards to Sandown. The smell has become so bad that local business Cadet Beach Club has had to temporarily close.
Residents and businesses will be unhappy with the news that additional questions are now emerging regarding the condition of the sewer nearby. Project managers – in consultation with key stakeholders – must now make a decision on whether to stop working and restore the area – or to extend the works.
A spokesperson for Southern Water has said:
“We recognise that extending the works would cause further inconvenience for beach users and businesses nearby but this must be balanced against ensuring customers are properly served now and in the future and the environment protected.
Article continues below this advertisement “We remain committed to minimising impact on the area, community, local businesses and environment; having made significant interim payments on account, pending figures showing loss of earnings to local businesses. We are also in conversations with the rowing club and inshore rescue to support these important community groups.
“As soon as the decision is taken a detailed update will be given to customers, stakeholders and the media”.
It’s thought that the emergency repairs have cost several millions of pounds to date, with the project having cost £2.5million back in April. It’s known that the pumping equipment costs £25,000 a week to hire, running up a bill of in excess £650,000 alone.
It’s unknown at this time how long the works would have to be extended for to enable further repairs.
Eight months to repair a sewer pipe? Yes, it was obviously a lot of work, but eight months? Six months to alter the mini roundabout layout at Smallbrook and goodness knows how many months to sort out the track for the new trains. I know we’re probably considered to be in a bit of a backwater here but why does everything seem to take so long? I’m pretty sure that if a sewer pipe burst on the mainland they wouldn’t be talking about 8 months to repair it or 6 months to change a mini roundabout layout.
Can understand sewers be taking time but not small brook roundabout absolutely unbelievable is it just 1 man
Please, please think.
The roundabout is just a ruse to use as the ‘reason’ for the closures for so long.
The REAL reason is the infrastructure will be put in place for the Penny Feather ruination. Drains, water, power, gas, and road alterations will be made during this period.
Yet to keep complaints at a minimum it is far easier to ‘use’ public road safety as ‘the reason’ when it is just ‘an excuse’
Watch and learn how these people work
It was yesterday! 1 man parked up in his truck, might even have been asleep – in the meantime we were all driving miles out of our way just to get home.
Don’t Southern Water keep their own pumping equipment for emergencies like this?
I remember this large concrete sewer pipe being installed all the way along to Seaview nearly 30 years ago – Into VERY sandy soil. There were other similar large concrete sewer installations in other places around that time.
I’d just add that from what I read in very wet weather, Ryde sewers are already overloaded. Yet there are many large building projects either planned, approved or already being built in the Ryde sewage collection area. Surely Southern Water know this
Same with the clean water mains. As more houses are built, then the pressure is increased to keep up the supply. Old pipes and joints then are more liable to burst.
Yet developers making millions could not care less, living miles away fromt the misery they create for us, and to rub salt into the wound, WE will have to pay more on our bills to fix such, whilst the developer get richer building homes WE never wanted anyway.
This whole island is turning to s***. Councillors p***ing our money up the wall.
I believe this pipe along with the pumping station was installed in the 1980s.The pipe has failed.
It does happen.
I dont think u can blame any property developers for this.
Southern Water should have repaired or replaced the pipe by now.How long would it it take to repair if it happened in a city ?