SEWAGE will be pumped into shallow water at Belle Greve Bay during a two-week period while work is carried out to repair a leak in the main long sea outfall. The leak is approximately a kilometre offshore from Les Banques and while divers are repairing the damage, sewage will be diverted via the Red Lion outfall.

This outfall is at the bottom of the beach and – although it is exposed only on a big spring tide – sewage will flow into shallow water during low tides.

Specialist contractors are waiting for the weather to improve before they can begin installing a new section of pipe that will bypass the area of the leak.

The work is expected to cost about £150,000, which will come from Public Services’ existing budget for maintenance of the waste-water network.

The long sea outfall was installed in 1971 and comprises two sections.

The first is an iron pipe that connects to the Belle Greve pumping station and is contained within a 1,300-metre tunnel under the seabed.

Its final 500 metres lies directly on the seabed and has been regularly inspected and maintained by divers.

The leak is located about 30 metres from where the pipeline emerges onto the seabed.

Previous attempts to repair it by covering the damaged section with concrete and sandbags had proved unsuccessful.