New pipe ready to be installed after sewage issue

The replacement section of a damaged pipe that led to raw sewage being pumped into the sea has now been moved for installation, a utility company has said.

Guernsey Water removed the problematic pipe part at Fort George after drone film footage from the BBC revealed it was discharging sewage too close to the shore in Soldier's Bay.

The company has since created a new section of piping which it has moved to the harbour ready for installation.

It noted due to challenging conditions, Guernsey Ports' dive team will only be able install the new part during a "narrow tide and weather window". This is expected to take place in "the next few weeks".

It comes after the BBC sent footage of the sewage from 1 May to Guernsey Water.

Specialist dye then showed the waste was not discharging into the correct location.

Guernsey Water has since been working with the Office of Environmental Health and Pollution Regulation to secure approvals for the new piping.

Its capital delivery manager Carl Falla said moving the replacement pipe to the harbour was a "significant step forward" and meant "everything is now in place for installation when the right tide and weather window becomes available".

He said the "complex" repair has been carried out in a "very challenging environment" and would not have been possible "without the support and expertise of Guernsey Ports' dive team".

He added: "Once the replacement section has been installed, we will increase the frequency of inspections on this outfall so that any future issues can be identified and addressed much sooner."

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