New pipe should help cut possible pollution problems

Sunday 04 June 2017

Jersey Water is hoping to minimise the effects of chemicals in drinking water by spending £1.2m on installing a bypass pipe at Val de la Mare Reservoir.

According to the company, the submerged pipe – which will run along the reservoir bed from the north west end of the reservoir to an existing valve tower at the main dam – will improve the company’s control over the level of nitrates and pesticides such as oxadixyl in the raw water supply.

If Planning give the scheme the go ahead it’s hoped to start in the autumn and to have it finished within six months. The work will mean public access to the upper car park and some parts of the path will be restricted.

Mark Bowden, Asset Manager at Jersey Water says “We are continually looking for ways to improve and enhance our infrastructure and ultimately our service to customers. This bypass has been in the planning stages for a number of years and is an important step in maintaining our ongoing compliance with water quality standards, particularly for the long-term issue of nitrates and oxadixyl. The bypass pipeline will offer greater flexibility in how we operate the site and will allow us to select the best possible quality of water for storage and treatment.”