Project Update – Bungay Road, Holton Our drilling works are progressing well at our site on Bungay Road, Holton. I’d like to update you on some upcoming road closures. Monday 7th to Friday 11th April 2025 To enable the installation of pipework beneath Bungay Road and to ensure the safety of both our site team and road users, a road closure will be in place from Monday 7th April to Friday 11th April 2025. Advance warning signs will be installed over the weekend of 22nd/23rd March. Access to all properties will be maintained; however, residents will only be able to access their properties from one direction as the road will be blocked at our site entrance. Pedestrian and cycle access will remain open. We apologise in advance for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding. Planned Further Road Closure – 27th to 30th May 2025 A further road closure is planned from 27th to 30th May 2025 to allow us to demobilise our plant and equipment on completion of this phase of works. These dates may be subject to change, as the completion date depends on the progress of borehole drilling and testing, which can vary. I will provide an update closer to the time.

As of Friday 14th March, we have installed just over 900 metres of new water main that will very soon replace the old existing pipe. We are now continuing along the road edge for and are expecting to be complete on this section over the coming 2 weeks. We would like to thank everyone again for their patience and understanding whilst we carry out this work. Only a couple of weeks remaining now and the length of old water main that regularly bursts will be replaced.

Good morning everyone, I hope you're all well. After making very good progress along the field edge we are now approaching the stage of having to install the new water within the road edge. This as previously communicated will require us to work within temporary two-way traffic lights for the safety of our workforce and the public passing by us. This work is expected to commence on Friday 21st with excavating the launch and reception holes for the guided boring pipe installation starting on Monday 24th February. Please get in touch if we can help any further. 

Update 20th February 2025. The Bungay Road closure dates have been extended until the end of Friday 21st February 2025. This to due to issues with mobilising the plant and equipment. I apologise for any continued inconvenience caused. We will aim to open the road as soon as possible.

The progress continues! Our plan to make Suffolk Smart is well on its way to success!   We've installed nearly 17,000 Smart meters and half of those are all connected to the network. This means that anyone with a connected meter can track their usage on their online account or app.  Having a look at your usage helps you to understand how much water your household uses and how that compares to similar homes. It also means you get an early warning of possible leaks.  It's better to find out when leaks are smaller and potentially easier (and cheaper) to fix, so you can protect your home and the environment all at the same time.   If you haven't already, you can sign up for an online account here.  Even without a smart meter, you will be able to pay your bills, update your details and much more. We also have a handy App, which you can download from your normal provider.  We’ll be moving into the Gorleston area later on in the year, and the network continues to connect more homes to this smart technology.    Dont forget that you can come and visit us on Carlton, our Community Engagement Vehicle where Julie and Sophie can help you with any questions you might have about your bills, meters, or even how to use water more wisely.  Keep up to date about where you can visit us at https://www.eswater.co.uk/carlton-events/

As planned, work commenced on Monday 27th January. This first week has seen us marking out the working strip along the edge of the field adjacent to Main Road and delivering the plant and equipment required for the new pipe installation.   Also, during this first week, we have begun installing the new water main with over 200metres of new pipe being installed along the field edge starting at the Bradwell Road end. The new water main pipe is being installed using a technique of Directional Drilling. This involves horizontally boring a hole underground and the new pipe is then pulled along into the hole. This method removes all of the need to excavate far slower and more disruptive long trenches.   The plan for week no.2 (w/c 03/02/25) is to continue installing further lengths of the new pipe along the field edge.    

Langford Fish & Eel Pass, December 2024 Some good news to share as we embark on closing out the Langford Fish and Eel Pass structures. The finishing touches are almost complete: maintenance and access walkways have been constructed and safety handrails are in place. The Eel Pass has been in operation since September and the Fish Pass was successfully brought into operation last month (November).  Before closing out the project and demobilising from site, final testing and commissioning will take place early in the new year.  The photos show a view of the completed Fish & Eel Pass structures from the bridge on the western side, with a view of the perimeter fencing and the Eel Pass debris deflector. You can also see the Fish Pass in full operation.

Update 12th February 2025 As previoulsy communicated, our drilling works are going ahead as planned, commencing Monday 17th February 2025. Our delivery Partner, G Stow PLC will mobilise plant and equipment on the Monday to Wednesday under the road closure. The advanced road closure signs have been put out and the road will be closed from approx. 6am on Monday 17th for upto 3 days. Pedestrians will still be able to pass the working area safely.  We always aim to keep distruption to a minimum, but apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused during the road closure and the works.    Previous Update I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Daniel Osborne, and I am the Project Manager for Essex and Suffolk Water. I will be overseeing this project until its completion. From 17 February 2025 to 30 May 2025, we will be conducting borehole drilling near our existing borehole, located on land we own off Bungay Road, as shown on the overview page map. This work includes the installation of new casing to facilitate testing for potential future groundwater extraction. These investigative activities will be carried out by our delivery partner, G Stow PLC. Given the location of the work, we do not anticipate major disruption. However, you may notice an increase in traffic entering and exiting the site, along with some construction noise. Additionally, you may see higher water levels in the ditches around the site, as we discharge clean water during testing. We will make every effort to minimize any inconvenience. To ensure the safety of both the public and our team, a temporary road closure will be implemented on Bungay Road, as shown on the attached Site Plan and Traffic Arrangements  This closure will take place from 17 to 19 February 2025 and will be clearly signposted in advance. Access to your property will remain, but you will only be able to approach from one direction. Please note, your water and sewerage services will not be impacted by this work. As the project progresses, I will keep you updated on our plans and any developments through this portal. I welcome your feedback and am eager to hear your thoughts. The team will post regular updates, and if you have any questions or require additional assistance, please use the 'Contact Us' button at the top of this page or post on this feed. If you prefer to speak by phone or need further information, please contact our Customer Centre at 0345 782 0999 or visit www.eswater.co.uk to request a call back from our project team  

Good afternoon. Today’s update brings news of us passing an exciting milestone in our pipelaying. With over 10km of pipes now in the ground, we’ve passed the halfway mark in the construction of the pipeline. Work is currently ongoing in the Tolleshunt D’Arcy area, and we will continue to keep you updated on progress. Thank you, as always for your patience while we carry out this work.

Progress on our project to install the Layer to Langford Pipeline has been very good over these past few weeks and we have now laid 5km of the 20km route. This has enabled us to begin reinstating land and installing post construction land drainage in some areas to ensure the ground is returned to land owners is as good as, or in an improved condition compared to when we mobilised to site. In autumn of this year we will also begin to replant any hedgerows we removed to ensure the biodiversity value along the route is maintained. We have now received the majority of the pipework required for the project and any large deliveries our communities may have observed will become a thing of the past.

Fish & Eel Pass Progress, July 24 The main construction works on the Fish & Eel Pass are complete, finishing touches like handrailing and a small debris deflector are needed before the structure can be put into use but there’s light at the end of the tunnel now. The progress photos show the structure with the eel pass on the right (looking uphill) which has had all the peg tiles installed and is now covered by a mesh walkway for maintenance access, and the fish pass on the left with the resting pool roughly halfway. Fencing, supporting gabion baskets of stone and soil backfill have all been completed recently along with the internal tiles on each pass.

We have now completed all of the archaeological work on the pipeline route and have found some interesting artefacts including Roman coins and pottery from the Iron and Bronze Ages. This generated interest from the BBC who wrote an article on the finds that can be located here…. Essex pipeline dig reveals Roman and Bronze Age settlements - BBC News Whilst the weather has been kinder to us in the last few weeks than earlier in the year we have made good progress stripping topsoil, receiving pipe materials on site and putting pipe into the ground. We have now laid just short of 5km of the total 20km length and in some places we have already begun to reinstate topsoil and return land to landowners. Please keep your eyes peeled for the crews working along the route as they work hard to improve our service to you, our customers.