Sewage system upgrades will 'increase capacity'

A project to separate rainfall from Jersey's sewage network will "increase capacity and provide additional resilience", a lead engineer has said.

The scheme at Lower Park, which started in September, includes installing a new pipe under Victoria Avenue.

Tom Le Gallais, the government's lead engineer, said the volume of sewage received at Bellozanne treatment works increased to 60,000 cubic metres over the winter, in comparison to about 25,000 cubic metres during the summer.

"The purpose of this project is about separating rainfall from the sewage network so rainwater goes straight out to sea," he said.

"It's about installing a new outfall which can be utilised for future developments."

He said the team had been working with the new hospital design team to ensure the new system could provide the necessary connections for the site at Overdale.

Mr Le Gallais said a new 1.2m (3.9ft) reinforced concrete pipe would be installed beneath Victoria Avenue, but added that the project was not "necessarily to replace" the current infrastructure.

"It's about building for the future in terms of future growth and also more extreme weather events," he said.

Constable Andy Jehan, Minister for Infrastructure, said the more surface water which could be separated from sewage, the less would need to be processed through sewage treatment works.

"I think that landowners can also help us with this flash flooding by keeping their land clean," he said.

"There is a lot of watercourses that haven't been maintained over many years."

Jehan said the new upgrade would help take surface water from Westmount, which would help the new hospital development.

He said it was also capable of taking surface water from First Tower and potentially from St Helier in the future.

Engineers working on the sewer system said the work was set to be completed by the end of the year.

Follow BBC Jersey on X and Facebook. Send your story ideas to [email protected].