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A15 closed to flush out sewer
Daniel Boughton prepares a specialist �39,000 remotely operated camera unit used by Industrial Waste Jetting Specialists during work on the A15 Brotherhood roundabout. (METP-29-01-12PF050) Photo: PAUL FRANKS/Peterborough ET
The Werrington Parkway section of the A15 in Peterborough was closed over the weekend as part of an operation to clear tonnes of fat and waste from a sewer.
Anglian Water asked for the closure of the Werrington Parkway section of the A15 from Saturday night and throughout Sunday so that engineers could use industrial jetters to clean out the muck.
The road was shut between its junction with the A47 roundabout and the junction with the B1443 Lincoln Road with traffic diverted along the A15 Paston Parkway.
It was due to re-open at 6am today.
The water company work this weekend is part of its 12-week, £100,000 cleaning programme to clear the sewers under Lincoln Road, between the city centre and Mountsteven Avenue, in Walton.
Since the scheme started workmen have removed around 200 tonnes of fats, rag (such as material including baby wipes which have been flushed into the system) and silt from the sewer – which equates to up to five tonnes every night.
Once the waste, which results in sewers getting clogged up and can lead to flooding, is pumped out and cleared from the pipes it is taken by lorry to be dumped in landfill.
John Clare, a spokesman for Anglian Water, said: “The sheer amount of material which has accumulated in this sewer over the last few years is incredible.
“It really brings home the scale of the problem we are faced with in keeping the sewers clear.
“The location of this sewer, under the A15 Werrington Parkway, makes it very difficult to clean properly because of the disruption it causes.
“However, in recent months customers in the streets between St Paul’s Road and Chaucer Road have been reporting problems such as not being able to flush their toilets and this was clearly unacceptable. We had to act.
“We tried to minimise the disruption to motorists by carrying out the work at the least busy time of the week.
“We are very sorry for any disruption but this should make a real difference to customers and we hope people will understand the need to take action.”
Anglian Water regularly jets the section of sewer under the city centre, an area which it targeted as part of its Keep It Clear campaign last summer.
The campaign was aimed at the Central and Stanground wards of the city and educated residents and food outlets in the area about how pouring fat and grease down the sinks or putting items like wipes and sanitary products down toilets can cause sewer blockages even flooding.
As a result of the 12-week campaign blockages in those wards have fallen by two-thirds and Anglian Water has rolled out the campaign to target other towns such as Southend, Thurrock and Northampton.
For more information about the campaign visit the website www.keep-it-clear.co.uk
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Weather for Peterborough
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: East
Comments
There are 4 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
AshamedPeterboroughResident
Monday, January 30, 2012 at 04:03 PMLeast the pay doesn't stink!
J J Carter
Monday, January 30, 2012 at 12:37 PMEveryone looks flushed with success after such a big job.
Gwendoline Horseradish
Monday, January 30, 2012 at 12:26 PMThe works are expected to be completed by the turd of February.
Ma Hubbard
Monday, January 30, 2012 at 11:58 AMCan anyone confirm reports that Industrial Waste Jetting Specialists are being sent over to the Town Hall? I hear there are tonnes of fat and waste there too.
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