Ring Main
Over the next five to seven years Guernsey Water are undertaking a long-term programme of investment to future proof water supplies for the Northern Parishes which will serve the island until 2100.
The project is expected to cost around £11m and involves the installation of a new ring main. A ring main acts like a motorway of the water network, maintaining an even pressure while other mains feed from it.
Why?
The existing ring main is reaching capacity due to growth and development throughout the island, and failing to increase its capacity could lead to pressure drops or, in the extreme, a loss of supply to thousands of people.
Planning decades ahead and starting the project now will help prevent these problems in future, and ensure Guernsey Water continues to be able to provide water for life through its sufficient and resilient supply service.
Carrying out the works in advance also comes with the added bonus of costing less and causing less disruption than fixing issues as they arise in future, this includes reduced energy costs which would be required to maintain supply pressure within the existing main. This forward planning assists with us maintaining our firm financial foundations, which is one of our key outcomes.
Timeline
With the project estimated to take between five and seven years to complete, a multi-phase approach is being taken, with each requiring its own individual plan. This timeline indicates phases completed and those next on the schedule.
Phase One
This complex Phase Involved the installation of 300 metres of 400mm diameter pipework in the lower section of Rectory Hill and was successfully completed, on time and on budget, during November and December 2024.
Phase Two
Phase two began in March 2025 and involved the installation of 400 metres of 400mm diameter pipework in the remaining section of Rectory Hill. This work was completed in May 2025.
Phase Three
Phase three will take place in two parts and involves the installation of 500m of pipework. The first part began in May 2025, and the second part will begin later in the year. This phase of the works takes place on Route de L'eglise.
