As part of its works to improve river water quality, Severn Trent Water has engaged Barhale to build a 20-metre diameter, 24-metre deep shaft tank that will providing an additional 5,200 m³ of overflow storage capacity.
This forms a key element of the wider, multi-site Etruria Vale project, delivered under the water company’s framework directive scheme – an initiative focused on reducing intermittent discharges from combined sewer overflows (CSOs), boosting resilience during storms, and enhancing water quality in local watercourses.
Barhale is constructing the shaft using secant piling to create a circular retaining wall before excavating within. Two connecting pipes – a 7.2-metre-long, 1200mm-diameter inlet and a 12-metre-long, 1050mm overflow – will link the structure to adjacent manholes.
In addition to constructing the shaft, Barhale will design and install the full MEICA package. This includes fully-submersible, variable speed drive pumps capable of delivering 200 litres per second over a variable head, a vacuum flush system, associated pipework, instrumentation, MCC, and kiosk.
Barhale director James Ingamells emphasised the importance of the project. “The wider Etruria Vale project spans multiple sites, including the Lower Oxford Road CSO and Lower Oxford Road Shaft,” he said. “The Etruria Vale shaft is the final piece in the puzzle. Its completion, and the extra capacity it brings, will make a significant improvement to the wastewater network in the area.
“Most importantly, it will play a vital role in improving water quality in the Fowlea Brook – a key tributary of the River Trent.”
Work is scheduled for completion by summer 2027.
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