Jersey Water is applying for planning permission to construct a submerged bypass pipeline from the St Ouen’s inlet stream at Val de la Mare reservoir. The proposed pipeline will run along the reservoir bed from the north west end of the reservoir and will connect to the existing valve tower at the main dam.
Completion of the project will improve Jersey Water’s control over the level of nitrates and oxadixyl in the raw water supply and offer improved resilience against pollution events in the water catchment.
Mark Bowden, Asset Manager at Jersey Water says “We are continually looking for ways to improve and enhance our infrastructure and ultimately our service to customers. This bypass has been in the planning stages for a number of years and is an important step in maintaining our ongoing compliance with water quality standards, particularly for the long term issue of nitrates and oxadixyl. The bypass pipeline will offer greater flexibility in how we operate the site and will allow us to select the best possible quality of water for storage and treatment.
The bypass will provide additional security and protection for our precious water resource at Val De La Mare and complements our ongoing work with the Environment Department and the farming community to meet our objective of supplying safe, high quality water for Jersey.”
The project is likely to cost in the region of £1.2 million to deliver. During the construction of the bypass there will be restrictions in place for public access to the site including closure of the upper (arboretum) car park and parts of the footpath. The work is planned for Autumn 2017, and will take up to 6 months to complete.