Latest stage of £11m ring main project to start

Guernsey Water is set to begin the next phase of its £11m ring main project, a major upgrade designed to secure water supplies to the north of the island for decades to come.

Work was due to start on 1 September and continue until 21 December along Route de la Hougue du Pommier and Route de la Charruée, where about 2,788ft (850m) of new main would be installed in the utility's largest capital project of 2026, project leaders said.

The scheme forms part of a wider programme expected to take until about 2032 to complete.

Guernsey Water previously described the ring main as "the motorway of the water network", carrying water around the island while maintaining pressure for homes and businesses.

Carl Falla, capital delivery manager at Guernsey Water, said: "This is one of the most significant infrastructure projects Guernsey Water has undertaken for many years and it's all about planning decades ahead rather than reacting to problems when they happen."

He said the project would "future-proof supplies to the northern parishes until the end of the century" and transport "tens of billions of litres of water in its lifespan", with new pipes being twice the size of existing mains.

Falla said the current network was approaching capacity and warned leaving existing pipes in place increased the risk of future bursts, which could leave thousands of people with low pressure or no water.

He added: "Most people will not think about the vast array of pipes beneath their feet taking water from reservoirs to treatment centres, via the mains to their tap, but it is there, 24 hours a day, all year round, delivering water for life."

Water supplies would remain uninterrupted during the works, bosses said.

Residents living along the route had been notified, and updates would be provided through the utility's Facebook page and local media, they added.

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