Works in Barnham

We are sorry for the impact that our work is having in the Barnham area.

There are several areas of work going on in the village.

We will use this webpage to keep residents and stakeholders updated.

UPDATE 5 January

Barnham Road

Repair work on the sewer has now been completed and the road will be reopened on 5 January after 4pm.

Marshall Close

A new screen was installed over the Christmas period and this is working well. Our Unflushables team visited houses in the area to drop off educational leaflets about what shouldn’t be put into toilets or down sinks to avoid further blockages to the system.

Elm Grove

Our contractor will return to Elm Grove on January 8 to continue work on the sewer repair.

UPDATE 19 December

Barnham Road closure

The CCTV work has now been completed with no major issues found.  However, a smaller pipe leading into the rising main has also collapsed. We will be starting work on the main sewer repair by installing a liner to seal a joint in the sewer then the next step will be to backfill the pipe and repair the smaller pipe. Unfortunately the road will need to remain closed over the Christmas period. We apologise for the inconvenience this will cause and appreciate our customers patience while we carry out this work. 

UPDATE 15 December

Marshall Close

While we wait for a longer-term replacement for the screen at the CSO at the rift at Marshall Place, we are continuing to regularly clean the screen to get rid of wet wipes and sanitary products that are being flushed into the system.

Our Unflushables team will be visiting customers in the area on Friday December 22nd to help prevent blockages of items that shouldn’t be put down sinks and loos including wet wipes, fat, oil, grease.

The team will be encouraging everyone to only flus the three Ps (pee, poo and paper) down the loo and to put fat, oil and grease in the bin and not down sinks.

Collapsed sewer at Barnham Road

Our teams are repairing a collapsed sewer at Barnham Road which has resulted in a full road closure.

This repair is proving to be difficult due to further issues we have encountered including a void under the road which means this work may take some time to complete.

The next step we need to undertake is a CCTV survey of the repair but because we can’t carry this out until there is less water in the system, we are exploring other ways of this work being done. We’re hoping this work can take place early next week, this will give us a clearer idea of timescales for when the repair can be finished. 

We’re very sorry for the disruption this is causing.

Elm Grove sewer relaying

Our teams are repairing a sewer at Elm Grove in Barnham.

A temporary pipe and pump to carry wastewater had been installed along Elm Grove and Orchard Way to remove the need for tankers in the local area. However, there have been issues with high levels in the sewer network and local properties have reported issues in their manhole chambers.

To make sure the flow rates can be managed effectively, the temporary pipe will now be redirected along Elm Grove into a larger sewer in Barnham Road. This change will be in place by Monday 18th December and the new pipe layout will remain in place until the end of February 2024.

The pump in Elm Grove Private Road will be moved into our works compound from January 2024.

In the week commencing 18th December, we will be removing cabins, materials and fencing from site.

This means that Elm Grove into Orchard Way will reopen from 22nd December until 8th January. Once we return on the 8th of January, the road will be closed again until the end of February 2024.

We will be installing driveway ramps for affected properties and residents will be able to park their car safely, alongside the pipe in Elm Grove.

Due to the unforeseen delay in commencing work, our expected completion date at the end of February 2024 may be subject to change and we will keep you updated.

11 December update

Marshall Close 

Homes at Marshall Close were flooded during Storm Ciaran, we’re investigating whether any of our assets had any impact on this, however the primary reason for this is the rife next to the homes had burst its banks. We’re continuing to offer support to customers who were impacted.

Unfortunately the screen at the CSO at the rife at Marshall Close, had to be replaced with a temporary mitigation last week (4th December) while we look for a longer-term replacement. However, we are aware that RAG including wet wipes and sanitary products have been found in the rife. 

We have been made aware of reports of dead fish at the rife next to Marshall Close and are taking samples and carrying out our own investigations along with the Environment Agency. 

Collapsed sewer at Barnham Road

Our teams are repairing a collapsed sewer at Barnham Road which has resulted in a full road closure.

This repair is proving to be difficult due to further issues we have encountered including a void under the road which means this work may take some time to complete. We’re very sorry for the disruption this is causing, once we have a better idea of timescales we will let people know when this work is expected to be finished.

We have also been made aware of a burst water main, however this is the responsibility of Portsmouth Water, this adds further complications to our repair.

Elm Grove sewer relaying

Our teams are repairing a sewer at Elm Grove in Barnham, this is a longer-term repair which will be to re-lay the sewer and this work will take place until the end of February.

Currently we are pumping flows from Elm Grove sewer into Orchard Way in a controlled manner as to not surcharge their sewer.

However, this is due to be changed from Thursday to direct the flow along Elm Grove and into the sewer on Barnham Road. 

Further information 

This area is impacted by a build-up of groundwater, following the recent heavy rainfall and groundwater table. This puts additional pressure on our sewer network, and we're working hard to alleviate some of the issues residents are facing at this time. 

We’re working with the local council following wider flooding issues in the area since the impact of Storm Babet and Storm Ciaran.

As part of this we have increased the number of tankers in use to reduce flooding of our sewer network in Barnham and Lidsey, we're sorry for the impact and disruption this is causing.