Major £1.2 million sewer works to begin to stop Peterborough city centre flooding

“This investment will help keep our sewers in Peterborough resilient against climate change, prevent flooding in the city centre”
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A major £1.2 million project to fix sewers in Peterborough city centre – and prevent Bourges Boulevard from flooding – is set to begin.

The main road through Peterborough’s city centre has been prone to flooding over the past few years, regularly leaving the carriageway closed and cars – and even an ambulance – stranded in the flood water.

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Now Anglian Water are starting a project to modernise the sewer system in the city to prevent further issues.

Flooding at Bourges Boulevard at junction of Wentworth Street.Flooding at Bourges Boulevard at junction of Wentworth Street.
Flooding at Bourges Boulevard at junction of Wentworth Street.

The £1.2 million investment, which is part of a wider £27 million programme to upgrade Peterborough’s water and sewer infrastructure, will take place on around Bourges Boulevard and the Embankment over the coming months. During August, work has begun setting up the site and cleaning at the Lido, with the lining work due to take place over the two weeks from 29 August.

Work will protect against pollution

Molly McKie, from Anglian Water’s community team, said: “This investment will help keep our sewers in Peterborough resilient against climate change, prevent flooding in the city centre, and protect the environment against pollution.

“This programme of investment in Peterborough is incredibly important for both the community and the environment. As well as this investment into the city centre’s sewer network, we’ve also been upgrading water mains in places like Folksworth. All of this work will help keep taps flowing and toilets flushing for our thousands of customers in Peterborough and the surrounding areas.”

A van is stuck in flood water on Bourges BoulevardA van is stuck in flood water on Bourges Boulevard
A van is stuck in flood water on Bourges Boulevard

Scheme will not see roads dug up in city

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Engineers will be installing a new robust lining to the inside of 800m of sewer pipe using innovative technology, which will prolong its life and prevent groundwater infiltration, which can overwhelm the sewer and cause flooding and pollution. This technique removes the need to dig up the road surface, making it less disruptive and more efficient than replacing a pipe.

The scheme in Bourges Boulevard is in addition to the £1.3 million already invested by the water company to improve the sewer network off Thorpe Road in the city centre, which took place last September.

Collectively, the work taking place across the city includes improvements to local sewers – reducing the chance of leaks and bursts – as well a huge smart metering programme, upgrading 90,000 water meters to help customers to monitor their water usage and save money on their bills. The programme also includes flood alleviation schemes, like this one, to protect homes and the environment against extreme weather and new pipelines to ensure the network is fit for the future.

Some disruption planned in city centre

During this work, there will be partial closure of the Bishop’s Road Lido car park for one day (w/c 12 September), as well as a one-lane closure on Bourges Boulevard on Wednesday 5 October. The company’s engineers are setting up away from public areas wherever possible, and using no-dig techniques to reduce disruption for local residents.