Emergency works by Southern Water to replace a broken sewer main in a field near Brading have resulted in the closure of a busy cut-through route. It was on Friday night that contractors arrived at West Lane – the road connecting Brading to Ashey – as a result of a failed pipe. Southern Water has been working around the clock across the weekend to resolve the situation, with pumping equipment established on site. A constant stream of tankers are taking away unclean water. At this stage, it is unknown if there has been any environmental impact. Sampling of a local watercourse is taking place to fully understand any potential impact on the local environment. Island Roads has confirmed this morning that the road is closed between the junctions with Harding Shute and Doctor’s Lane. However, motorists heading towards Brading are not given any advanced warning of the closure up ahead. The diversion route via Harding Shute is partially flooded. A spokesperson for Southern Water has said:
“We’re repairing a burst sewer pipe on land near West Lane, near Brading. “Our engineers are on site. We’ve contacted the Environment Agency and commissioned sampling of a watercourse in the area to understand any potential environmental impact. “We will use tankers to maintain wastewater flows in the area over this weekend, which will mean the temporary closure of West Lane. We are already in direct contact with the landowner and local residents directly affected by the road closure. “We again apologise for the inconvenience caused by the burst and our work to maintain services and protect the environment over the next few days.”
Repairs to the pipe are expected to get underway shortly.
