Projects Underway To Improve Water Quality And Supply In East Sussex

Residents in Rother and Wealden are set to benefit from an £18 million investment to improve their drinking water supply network.

This multimillion-pound investment by fresh drinking water company, South East Water, to improve the network in East Sussex is underway. Several projects in the area, along with additional future schemes, will result in enhanced network resilience and better water quality.

One of the projects, to improve water quality in the Heathfield to Rushlake Green area, starts today, Tuesday, May 7.

Project Manager for this scheme, Jeremy Dufour, said:

“We know our water supply in the area is not the standard we want for our customers and discolouration has been a common issue. To help improve this, we will be replacing approximately 6.5 kilometres of old water main along Battle Road.

“Much of the work will be under temporary traffic lights on this key route, but there will be several side road closures as we progress along Battle Road. Details of these can be found on our website at southeastwater.co.uk/punnettstown.”

A second scheme, a new 17-kilometre pipeline connecting treated drinking water storage tanks in Wadhurst and Rotherfield with the company’s treatment works at Bewl Water, is underway and is expected to take around 18 months.

Matthew Cooper, Project Manager for South East Water, said:

“Our Bewl to Rotherfield project is vital for providing us with greater flexibility to move water around our network. It also means that we will be preventing the transfer of a non-native invasive species between the reservoirs at Bewl and Darwell and a nearby treatment works.

“Installing this new pipeline, coupled with upgrades to both our Bewl treatment works and Wadhurst storage reservoir, means that the water network in the Wealden area will be greatly improved, providing increased resilience: a key objective for the company to improve our service to customers.”

Work is currently taking place in Sheriff’s Lane, Rotherfield, and a diversion route is currently in place. Details can be found at southeastwater.co.uk/wealden

Wealden District Councillor, Greg Collins, said:

“These are essential works, on quite a scale.  I’ve attended a number of meetings at which South East Water have presented the scheme and heard councillors’ and residents’ concerns, and have taken them seriously.  They’ve engaged with local communities, understand the issues, and I believe are committed to doing everything they are able to keep the disruption and inconvenience to a minimum.”

Future projects for the area include laying 1.6 kilometres of new pipeline between Flimwell and Bedgebury. 

Those wishing to find out more about these projects can visit southeastwater.co.uk/eastsussex