Tugs will be required to tow a water pipe from Norway to the southeast of England, UK in the next six months, as part of an investment project to reduce beach waste
Southern Water is building a new wastewater outflow that will take sewage further out to sea off the coast of Whitstable and Herne Bay, in Kent, during 2024.
This will be linked to the water treatment plant at Swalecliffe to reduce the risk of polluting beaches, nature reserves and the Longrock special site of scientific interest, which are blighted regularly by overflows of polluted water.
Local environmental groups have increasingly pressured Southern Water to clean up local shores and swimming areas by preventing sewage releases during periods of heavy rain, which has become a national issue in the UK.
Part of the project involves installing a 1-km water pipe from the shore to the Thames Estuary, and a pumping unit to move effluent from the coastine further out towards the Kentish Flats offshore windfarm.
There are two outflows at Swalecliffe, with one dedicated to releasing excess stormwater into the sea during and after heavy rainfall and when storm tanks are full, thus preventing local flooding.
This outflow has been damaged over time and needs replacing, said Southern Water. “The new outflow pipe will be longer and keep any releases away from local beaches.”
This 1-km, large-diameter water pipe will be manufactured in Norway and towed across the North Sea to the site on the north Kent coast during Q3 2024. This typically requires the services of at least one deepsea tug for weeks, depending on the weather and sea conditions for towage.
A dredger and barge-based plant will be used to excavate the shoreline and install the outflow pipe during Q2 and Q3 2024, when the local esplanade will be closed or diverted, as the UK Environment Agency expects this project to completed by the end of this year.
The Swalecliffe treatment works will also be upgraded to reduce the need for releasing stormwater and pollution into the estuary. Construction of the shore section of the pipeline starts in April and will continue until September 2024.
Southern Water is working with local government to further invest in water treatment in the area to treat more waste water and prevent sewage entering the environment.
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