South East Water is set to invest £80 million into enhancing the water network in East Sussex, aiming to boost supply, resilience, and quality through new pipework and upgraded treatment facilities.
The investment will support three major ongoing projects in the region, with additional schemes in the planning phase. This comprehensive investment will significantly enhance the infrastructure across East Sussex.
Desmond Brown, Head of Engineering at South East Water, stated, “We are committed to upgrading and improving our infrastructure throughout East Sussex. Recent years have seen substantial disruptions to our customers’ water supply, for which we apologize. These projects will help reduce such incidents by enhancing our ability to treat, pump, and distribute water, as well as improving flexibility in our pipeline network during disruptions.”
The ongoing and planned projects include:
- Bewl Water Treatment Works: A £61 million upgrade set to begin in August aims to expand water storage capacity and reduce the risk of water outages in East Sussex.
- Bewl Water Treatment Works to Rotherfield Pipeline: A £12 million project is laying a 17-kilometre new water main between Bewl Water Treatment Works and the storage tanks in Wadhurst and Rotherfield, enhancing water movement flexibility in the area.
- Heathfield to Rushlake Green Pipeline: A £5.6 million initiative is replacing 6.5 kilometres of water main between Heathfield and Rushlake Green via Punnets Town, ensuring a continuous supply of high-quality drinking water.
Brown emphasized that the projects have been meticulously planned to minimize disruption and environmental impact. Future plans include upgrading pumping stations and laying additional water pipelines, with further details to be shared as the planning progresses.
“We appreciate the support and patience of the communities as we undertake these essential improvements to our water network in East Sussex,” Brown added.
