Remarkable sewer repair in a river bed
Our team in West Yorkshire within our Yorkshire Water contract recently replaced and refurbished a sewer in a riverbed!
Starting in January 2021 and completed in May 2021, the Stepping Stones Project in East Morton near Keighley involved the replacement of 24m (230 diameter) sewer in a river bed! The team successfully provided a concrete surround to the sewer, cleaned and lined 50m and sealed a manhole.
…But it wasn’t all smooth sailing. The work location was surrounded by high, steep sided banks at the side of the river! A bespoke scaffolding arrangement was erected to bridge over the river and provide a staircase down to the work areas. The scaffolding also incorporated a winch arrangement for emergency egress if required.
Secondly, the flow of water was a rather large issue which had to be addresses before work took place, as any rainfall could increase the depth drastically. In addition to checking the weather forecast regularly, a flume pipe arrangement was installed to divert most of the water flow away from the work area.
Finally, our team came across some environmental issues. An ecological survey was undertaken of the area which identified a potential habitat for White Clawed Crayfish which are a protected species. A bespoke license was obtained from Natural England to allow suitably experienced and competent persons to move any white-clawed crayfish away from harm before the works were undertaken.
The project was viewed very highly by Yorkshire Water management. Feedback from a Health & Safety audit reported:
The project whilst exceptionally challenging regarding maintaining good access and egress for those working in such conditions, is being very well managed. You have a superb grasp on CDM duties and have obviously developed an excellent culture on site. Also well done to SUS for ensuring the appropriate level of competence has been afforded to such a challenging project environment
This project was extremely challenging for all involved due to the difficult access, work location in a river and the environmental issues. A strong collaborative relationship between SUS, our subcontractor and the client were essential. Good communication, key knowledge and management of the risk ensured that the project was completed safely and with no environmental incidents
