Thames Water's £16M Swindon pipe replacement project begins to tackle bursts issue

Barhale has started works to replace the 3km Thames Water’s Haydon End Rising Main pipe in Swindon which has experienced several bursts in recent years.

The Haydon End sewage pumping station and Haydon End Rising Main were built in 1996 to transfer sewage to the inlet works at the western end of Swindon sewage treatment works. In normal conditions Haydon End Pumping Station can pump 144l/s through the 500mm diameter glass reinforced polymer pipe.

If the Haydon End Rising Main bursts around 35 tankers need to be operating, with specialist pumps having to be installed to fill the tankers.

As the population the pipe serves has grown in recent years and the condition of sections of the pipe has been deteriorating, Thames Water had to respond to several bursts in the last two years.

Due to the increasing frequency of such events and the scattered nature of the bursts, the water company decided to invest £16M for the full replacement of the pipe. A new route was selected to avoid the high voltage cables and railway, with the third of the pipe installed inside a tunnel to reduce the impact on the A4198 Thamesdown Road and four river crossings. The new pipe will have a 630mm diameter and will be made of Polyethylene.

Main contractor Barhale will construct 1205m tunnel using a 1200mm pipe jacking machine for the section between the Haydon End Sewage Pumping Station to the north of the railway track.

An open cut excavation will be used for 1930m of the remaining route to the Swindon sewage treatment works, apart from the 310m section crossing the river Ray where directional drilling will be carried out underneath the watercourse.

The project is scheduled to be completed by July 2024.

Thames Water head of waste treatment for the Thames Valley region Andrew Scott said: “We're excited to start work to replace the Haydon End Rising Main. We recognise the disruption recent bursts from this pipe have caused and the impact it has had on customers. That’s why we brought forward our plans to start this £16 million project now so we can ensure our network in the area is resilient to the pressures of climate change and population growth and we can provide a reliable service to our customers.”

Swindon Borough Council cabinet member for the environment and transport councillor Chris Watts said: “The sewage leaks in North Swindon have caused disruption to local wildlife and residents in Taw Hill so I’m really pleased Thames Water is making this significant investment in its infrastructure to benefit the town.

“We have been working closely with Thames Water to facilitate the work and, because the new pipe will be going underneath the existing cycle path, we have agreed that the route is improved when the path is put back in place, which is great news for cyclists and pedestrians who use it.

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