WATER levels and footpaths at Draycote Water will be affected during an 18-month construction project to carry out ‘essential’ upgrades, which begins this summer.
Severn Trent is investing £7.6million at the popular visitor site, to meet Government regulations stating reservoirs must be able to lower water levels quickly to protect against dam failure.
Its most recent Government inspection revealed facilities at Draycote do not meet this guidance.
Three siphons, made up of pipes running through the Hensborough Embankment, will be installed, and a new pond will be created to capture any water released during annual testing so it can be pumped back to the reservoir.
The water level will be lowered by three metres – or six metres during the summer when levels naturally drop – for around three months to allow divers to install siphon pipework in the reservoir.
The public footpath will be diverted to keep a safe distance between construction works and visitors – but pedestrians will still be able to walk all the way around the reservoir.
Construction access and traffic will be managed to minimise impact on visitors and Draycote Water Sailing Club as far as possible. Vehicles will be able to access all areas of the reservoir, but may not be able to drive all the way round.
Severn Trent is hosting a community drop-in session for Dunchurch residents, where they can hear more about the plans.
Janine Billington from Severn Trent said: “The drop-in session is a great chance to ask us any questions about the work and for us to find out more about your area.
“Feedback from our customers is important to us – so we’d love to see as many people as possible turn up to the session.”
The session takes place at the Dunchurch Sportsfield and Village Hall tomorrow (Tuesday February 15) from 4pm to 7pm.
Visit https://tinyurl.com/3ej68hh8 to find out more about the project and keep up to date with its progress.
Construction will start in the summer, with a view to being completed by December 2023.
