Newchurch residents can hear next week how Southern Water will replace 1200m of water mains prone to disruptive bursts – the section from Winford Road to The Shute, Newchurch suffered ten bursts in a decade leading to disruption as emergency repairs took place.
Ten bursts in a decade
A customer drop-in event will be held at Newchurch Pavilion, Watery Lane, PO36 0LX from 3.30pm to 6pm on Wednesday 2nd September 2026 where customers can meet the team including project managers and learn about how traffic will be managed.
Rolling road closure from October
To do the work a rolling road closure starting at Winford Road and moving to The Shute will be in place starting on Monday 5th October 2026.
Adam Wilds, stakeholder manager for the Island, said,
“This £5 million investment will strip out outdated PVC pipes which become brittle over time and replace with modern materials.
“But big projects like this do involve disruption such as temporary lights or diversions so it’s crucial we keep our customers and stakeholders informed.
“Doing a full replacement means we won’t be coming back again and again to do emergency work.”
Wider Island work
Some 11 projects have already been delivered this year in the Island with 6,751 metres of pipe upgraded, replaced or improvements made to valves and other equipment.
News shared by Southern Water press team. Ed
