Major Isle of Wight sewer pipe repair delayed due to weather

Southern Water has been making preparations for the repairs to the pipe in Appley, Ryde, which serves 27,000 homes in Ryde, Nettlestone, and Binstead, taking waste to its treatment works in Sandown.  

The burst happened on Friday last week (November 27), with the utility company deploying tankers and nurse tanks to Appley car park, with engineers mitigating against the immediate environment impact and making preparations to shut down the Appley Transfer Station so repairs can take place.

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The work was due to get underway tomorrow (Wednesday, December 4), but this has been delayed until at least Thursday (December 5), warns Southern Water, to allow the area to dry out, following heavy, prolonged rainfall over the weekend.

This would mean Southern Water extending the closure of Appley car park — the nature of the work requiring dryer conditions for the repair to be carried out safely.

When the work gets underway, the company has warned of likely disruption during the evening and overnight.

Only as recently as April 2022, Southern Water had repaired a collapsed, outdated 1980s sewer pipe in Appley and replaced it with "future proof" new pipework.

"Due to the nature of the repair, it will cause further disruption and require us to use a large number of tankers, currently located at Appley car park, following agreement with Isle of Wight Council," a Southern Water spokesperson has said.

"We have contacted key stakeholders in the area, and will send letters to nearby residents, and text messages, with further information in the coming days."