Thames Water to begin Swindon sewer improvement works

Thames Water will construct two underground storage tanks in the Taw Hill area of Swindon, UK.

The company will spend £5m for the improvements, which will expand the capacity of the sewer network, reducing the risk of sewer flooding.

Work on the first phase will begin on the northern site, next to the existing sewage pumping station.

During the first week, contractors will set up the site and create access routes from the road. They will work alongside an ecologist to protect the local wildlife, including great crested newts and nesting birds.

Work on the second tank at the southern site near the Haydon End sewage pumping station will begin in June.

The whole project is set to be completed by April 2015.

Thames Water head of programme delivery Mark Taylor said that it is vital to plan and act ahead of future developments rather than waiting until it’s too late.

"We’ve all seen images on the TV recently of people whose lives have been torn apart by flooding and overloaded sewers and we must make sure that those problems do not start occurring elsewhere," he said.

"Just one instance of sewer flooding is one too many."