Bristol Water will start a £3 million project to renovate the Strategic Water Main that stretches from Victoria Pumping Station on Oakfield Road in Clifton, to Greenbank Cemetery.

The main services households and businesses across Cotham, St Paul’s, Lawrence Hill and Easton. Parts of the network are over 150 years old and customers in these areas have reported a number of discoloured water incidents over the past few years.

The first stage of this work will begin on 9 May 2016 and will extend from Victoria Pumping Station on Oakfield Road to the M32. The dates for the section stages are yet to be confirmed. This first stage is expected to last five months and will involve several road closures. This work is being planned alongside Bristol City Council to minimise the impact on road users.

Mike Smith, Head of Network Projects, Bristol Water said the work is essential to maintain the high levels of water quality for customers.

The water company is currently working with Bristol City Council to reduce the impact of the works - there are already some major schemes, such as the MetroBus and Network Rail’s electrification of the network, affecting Bristol’s roads. Bristol Water also using a slip lining technique, which involves pulling a new plastic pipe through the old cast iron main which it hopes will obviate the need to put any traffic management on Whiteladies Road, one of Bristol’s major roads.