Middlewich sewer improvements

What is sewer flooding?

Some of the sewers and drains in Middlewich date back to the Victorian times. Since then, the population has grown as the town expanded. More houses and businesses mean more wastewater going into our pipes and less permeable surfaces for rainwater to drain into. Our climate is also changing leading to longer, heavier periods of rain. These two factors result in the existing sewers and drains not being able to cope at certain times.

When there are heavy rainstorms, too much water goes through the pipes, and the sewers become overloaded. As this happens, wastewater escapes back up through the drains spilling into roads, car parks and homes. We call this sewer flooding.

This has been happening in Middlewich over recent years with certain hot spots subject to sewer flooding on a re-occurring basis.   If we do nothing, the situation is likely to get worse over time with more areas being affected more often.

How can we fix this?

There is a solution. This is not a problem unique to Middlewich and our engineering experts have solved this in other parts of the North West. We need to increase the size of some of the sewer pipes and build a tank underground which can store the storm water at peak times and then pump it back into the system when the water has subsided.

Our work in Middlewich

In Middlewich we are proposing a five stage plan to aliviate sewer flooding in the area:

• Installation of a below ground storage tank underneath the park area off Chadwich Road, at the junction with Warmingham Lane. Duration 11 months.
• A new larger sewer pipe to run along Booth Lane, duration 6 months.
• A new larger sewer pipe on Cross Lane, duration 6 months.
• A new larger sewer pipe on Warmingham Lane, duration 4 months.
• A new sewer in the fields off Warmingham Lane, duration 10 months

From week commencing Monday 24 August 2009 you will notice an increase in construction related activity in the park area off Chadwick Road, at the junction with Warmingham Lane.  Throughout this work we will continue to keep you up date with our progress and will aim to carry out this work with the minimum amount of disruption to you.

Public exhibition

If you could not make our public exhibition held on Thursday 25 June please click the links below to find some of the information we provided. 

• Sewer flooding solution
• Overall works plan
• Proposed tempory site compound 
• Tree removal and protection plan (subject to planning approval)
• Frequently asked questions

To help answer any queries you may have relating to this scheme, our contract partner Balfour Beatty who are carrying out this work on our behalf have allocated a cabin within our site compound, which is located opposite the Turnpike Pub, Chadwick Road.  This cabin will be open every Wednesday from 28 October, 10am to 1pm, where a Balfour Beatty Customer Advisor will be on hand to answer your questions. 

Road works and diversions