Sussex Water Mains Replacement uses ‘No Dig’ technology

Residents in Partridge Green, West Sussex will see an end to frequent bursts and discoloured water as we replace 4.5 km of pipe – some of it up to 80 years old.

The even better news is we’ll be using directional drilling to tunnel beneath the streets instead of digging a trench to minimise disruption.

We’re using ‘No Dig’ technology and a range of other techniques to replace the water mains and connection to the local area in Partridge Green, West Sussex.

We will use the various methods including fixing known leaks and pressure management.  

New plastic pipes will replace the old water pipes. This will reduce the risk of discoloured water coming through taps and will also reduce the risk of bursts, leaks and interruptions to the water supply. 

Jonathan Poll, Project Manager at Southern Water said: “Some of the water mains are made of cast iron and other materials. They have been in the ground for around 80 years, and despite regular maintenance they are beginning to show their age.

“We’ll be replacement project will reduce the risk of discoloured water coming through customers taps and will also reduce the risk of bursts, leaks and interruptions to the water supply.”

Works started in August 2025 and is scheduled to be complete in October 2026

We’ll be using machines that tunnel underground which is ‘trenchless technology’. This means we don’t have to dig up so many roads and pavements. When we’re unable to use this method, we must dig holes and trenches to lay the new pipes.

Below is an outline of the scheduled work