Ring Main

A long-term programme of investment to future proof water supplies for the northern parishes begins this week, as work on the ring main starts. 

The ring main - essentially the motorway of the water network, which other mains take their supply from - is reaching capacity due to growth and development throughout the island. Failing to increase its capacity could lead to pressure drops or, in the extreme, a loss of supply. 

The first phase of work will see Rectory Hill closed for six weeks, reopening just before Christmas. 

"We plan decades ahead, to make sure we meet demand for water and that's exactly what we're doing here," explained Capital Delivery Manager Carl Falla. "As the island continues to grow and more development is carried out, this puts pressure on critical water infrastructure. Over the last five years we have already seen issues with growth and development impacting certain areas. 

"Although we have been able to resolve these with network reconfigurations, we need to invest on a larger scale to future proof the water distribution system. 

"We're acting now to prevent problems in the future - a responsible course of action that is far less costly than fixing problems as and when they happen. A failure of the current ring main would leave thousands without water." 

The project has been planned over the last two years, is expected to take five to seven years to complete, and cost around £11m.  

"This project really encapsulates everything Guernsey Water is about: first and foremost, we provide water for life, we have firm financial foundations and we ensure supplies are sufficient and resilient."

It's one of the largest new water infrastructure investments the utility has commissioned recently and is critical owing to the planned increases in population and development across the island over the next 80-100 years. 

"We look after more than 500km of water pipes and they serve the community 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It would be fair to say most people don't think about the sheer scale of the infrastructure in place to ensure their access to clean and safe water. This investment safeguards our ability to provide water for the next generation of islanders." 

Fortnightly updates will be provided on the Guernsey Water Facebook page. 

Among other projects this year the utility has completed a new water main installation at Moulin Huet, continued a multi-million-pound investment at St Saviour's Water Treatment Works and upgraded La Piette Pumping Station.