New sewage tank is installed to reduce flooding

Chippenham was flooded when the River Avon burst its banks last year

Work to reduce the risk of flooding and to protect the River Avon has been completed.

The £2 million project saw a 250,000-litre storage tank put below ground in Chippenham in Wiltshire to add extra capacity to the sewer network.

The tank, which was put in next to Long Close, will reduce the amount of times when high volumes of rainwater cause storm overflows.

Project manager Paul Delves from YTL Construction said: "This storm water mixes in the sewer with the foul water from homes and businesses and can also cause overflows to operate, but by retaining it in the tank, it can be returned to the sewer later, prior to being piped to a water recycling centre for treatment.''

The Long Close project comes after the River Avon burst its banks in November 2024, when Chippenham was hit by Storm Bert.

Back in November, the Environment Agency described the flood as an "extreme" event and many homes and businesses were affected by it.

Wessex Water, which is part of the YTL Group, is now investing £580 million between 2025-2030 to reduce the operation of storm overflows, introducing more nature-based solutions and promoting better rainwater management.

The company said it has asked the Competition and Markets Authority to review how much it can invest in vital water and sewerage improvements over the next five years.

This comes after the industry regulator Ofwat's final determination on Wessex Water's five-year business plan allowed for £4.2 billion of total expenditure – 17% short of what the company's own calculations have shown are required to meet its obligations and customers' expectations, and support growth in the region.