Severn Trent’s Newark Waste and Water Improvement Project wins large project category award

Severn Trent’s Newark Waste and Water Improvement Project has won a major award.

The scheme, to renew the town’s ageing waste and clean water pipe network, won the large project category (projects over £10m) at Friday’s Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) East Midlands Merit Awards.

The ongoing scheme was designed to prevent sewers from flooding and will safeguard 400 homes and businesses in Newark, and also future-proof Newark against the town’s continuing population growth as the system, much of it Victorian, could not cope with the amount of new homes being built.

The judges praised the Severn Trent’s approach to collaborative working, combined with local public consultation that helped reduce the impact of the system, which was built below the town centre, and involved the construction of new shafts and tunnels.

One tunnel (above) links the Crankley Point Sewerage Plant off Quibell’s Lane with Millgate and is big enough to drive a Transit van through.

ICE East Midlands regional director Jo Barnett said: “Our annual awards play an important role in not only demonstrating the importance of our civil engineers, whose hard work and dedication can often go unnoticed, but in also celebrating the positive impact that civil engineering has on our everyday lives.”

Severn Trent expects the majority of the Newark scheme to be completed by the end of August, a year ahead of schedule.

On completion, Severn Trent, and its main contractor, BNM Alliance, will have installed a total of 9,600 metres of new sewers, 1,500 metres of improved sewers and 12,500 metres of new and improved water mains pipework and fittings.