Pollution prevention project nears completion as Weymouth Street reopens

A year-long £2 million project to improve Warminster’s sewer system and protect the Were River from pollution is drawing to a close, with Weymouth Street fully reopening to traffic.

The scheme, which began last August, has been one of the town’s most significant infrastructure projects in recent years. But it has impacted both drivers and pedestrians in the town centre while the environmental upgrades were carried out.

Traffic resumed travel in both directions on Weymouth Street on Sunday 17th August following the lifting of the northbound closure that had been in place while crucial upgrades to the sewer network were carried out within a public car park.

The project saw an underground storage tank built to hold more than 400,000 litres of excess water from sewers during heavy storms, to help improve the quality of water in the Were River running through the town.

Work on the scheme was extended by three months, following discussions between Wiltshire Council, Warminster Town Council and Wessex Water, after problems caused by groundwater filling up the shaft for the tank delayed the construction team earlier this year while it was pumped away and a solution was found.

The tank will now play a crucial role in reducing occasions when heavy rain overwhelms the town’s sewer system and causes nearby storm overflows to operate automatically to protect properties from flooding.

It will retain the increased water volume from the combined sewer system – a diluted mix of used water from homes and businesses as well as rainwater draining into the pipes – until storms subside before returning it to the system and onwards to a nearby water recycling centre for treatment.

Greg Andrews, Networks Project Manager for YTL Construction, which carried out the work on behalf of Wessex Water, said, “We’re delighted to have completed this important project in Warminster and be able to reopen Weymouth Street fully for local through traffic.

“This was a complex scheme in a sensitive location and our team have worked hard to get it completed as quickly as possible, despite the challenges they have encountered along the way.

“Clearly, the delays were frustrating, but we’d like to thank local customers and road users for their patience, co-operation and understanding while these were overcome, as well as Warminster Town Council and local Wiltshire Council members for their support throughout.

“Our team will remain on site to demobilise equipment, reopen the footpath and reinstate the car park over the next couple of weeks. This work was vital towards helping to protect the environment in Warminster and Wessex Water’s progressive push towards preventing the automatic discharge of untreated water.’’