SEWAGE could be discharged on Belle Greve beach. Public Services proposals announced today would see waste water diverted from the long sea outfall into a century-old drain that finishes at the bottom of the beach.
Minister Bill Bell said that any discharge through the old Red Lion outfall would be for only a short time, ‘probably in terms of hours’.
The 1900 drain would be hooked up to the Belle Greve pumping station and sewage diverted through it when the long sea outfall is being surveyed, refurbished or maintained.
It will also be used during storms to offer extra capacity and avoid sewers overflowing.
The proposals are in a States report that will next month see Public Services ask the House to approve funding for the first two phases of a project to upgrade the Belle Greve headworks.
It is 36 years old and eventually up to £16m. could be spent on the project - although this could rise if a new outfall is required.
The first two phases are budgeted to cost £1.47m., which includes a survey of the main outfall and some interim work.
‘The long sea outfall has functioned well for over a third of a century,’ said Deputy Bell in the Billet.
‘However, there is a need to refurbish the outfall and to prepare contingency plans, which might include a prolonged diversion of flows for major repairs or construction of a replacement outfall.’
The Belle Greve headworks comes under severe pressure in storm conditions when pumping capacity can be exceeded, leading to sewers overflowing.
‘An old and frequently overloaded pumping station presents an unacceptable risk that more serious flooding may occur,’ he said.
The volume of waste water that Belle Greve can handle is limited by the size of the outfall pipe.
In the medium term, the volume that can be pumped out will be increased by refurbishing the facility, but an interim solution is needed to minimise flood risks.
The shortfall outlet built at the Red Lion in about 1900 runs nearly to the low-water mark of the lowest spring tide. It is not currently connected to the pumping station.
‘Emergency use of this outfall is severely restricted by tidal conditions and the location of the controlling valve in the busy road junction.’
Interim measures to overcome this will:
n provide access for survey and briefly divert flows through the auxiliary Red Lion outfall during survey of the main long sea outfall;
n allow for discharge of flows in excess of outfall capacity;
n provide a contingency for emergency;
n avoid discharge through the auxiliary outfall during routine maintenance of the pumping station;
n provide auxiliary pumping capacity to facilitate temporary shutdown of the existing pumping station during refurbishment.
Work has already begun, using the department’s current budget.
The refurbishment of the facility would be needed even if the States moved to a full sewage treatment plant and the recommendations will be debated by the States next month.
Article posted on 28th September, 2007 - 12.00am
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