Sampling points are important for measuring and safeguarding water quality, which is why Severn Trent Water has recently commissioned a new permanent installation at Whiteborough in Derbyshire. The project has been supported by specialist civil engineering business, BC Civils, which has installed a concrete base, excavated service trenches and built a chamber at the site.
To protect customers and fulfil regulatory requirements, Severn Trent Water is required to take tens of thousands of water samples every year. Bolstering its infrastructure, it approached framework contractor ECS Engineering Services to install a new sampling point at Whiteborough. The project demanded a wide range of civil works, so ECS enlisted sister company, BC Civils, to deliver.
The scope included installing a concrete base for a new kiosk, digging service trenches for an additional sampling pipe and drainpipe, as well as creating a new chamber above an existing sampling pipe. Furthermore, BC Civils needed to dismantle and remove the old kiosk.
Before any works began, the BC Civils team located key services in the area using cable avoidance tool (CAT) scanning – ensuring that there were no surprises.
For the new kiosk base, BC Civils used an excavator to dig a 450 mm deep pit, then added MOT Type 1 subbase and compacted it. A reinforcement cage with mesh wire and the timber formwork was fitted, with ducts for power, the incoming pipe and a drain set in. Once the concrete had been poured and set, a 1.6 m x 1.6 m x 300 mm base was ready for the new kiosk.
BC Civils dug service trenches for the kiosk power supply, new sampling pipe and drain off pipe and installed the ducts as well as a draw pit for the power supply. All the trenches were backfilled once the services had been installed by ECS’ engineers.
A 3 m deep chamber was also constructed above an existing sampling pipe. BC Civils is fully qualified to work in confined areas and used this expertise to expose the pipe and cast a 300 mm thick concrete base around it. Precast chamber sections and a concrete surround were then installed. Following this, a cover slab was added.
To complete the works, the BC Civils team removed the old kiosk, including its concrete base, and took the waste materials off-site.
Adam Hickling, Operations Manager at BC Civils, said: “We have great experience working to the high standards demanded by water authorities and their framework contractors. The civil works at Whiteborough have helped to improve water sampling infrastructure in the area, and supported ECS in a successful project delivery.”
