Hankerton is lucky enough (?) to receive sewage from Chelworth, Oaksey, Eastcourt, Crudwell, Minety, Upper Minety, and Flisteridge into Hankerton Bridge Sewage Pumping Station (SPS), whence it is pumped to Noah’s Ark SPS in Charlton. All via a mix of pumped and gravity fed pipes.

The section of pipe from the Eastcourt junction to Hankerton Bridge SPS is gravity fed, and Wessex Water have installed a flowmeter to compare flows in various sections of pipework, since either leakage from, or inflow to, the sewer is suspected. Camera surveys carried out during the last few years have not provided enough information.

The delay in the works was caused by Wessex’s inability to locate the pipe! Fortunately, after much nugatory digging, a long-term local resident helpfully told the diggers where to direct their energy and locate the pipe, which is plastic, and was laid well before GPS location became available. As a further hindrance the original drawing of the pipework layout was inaccurate. You couldn’t make it up.

All that remains is for electrics to be connected to the flowmeter, which should take place on 18 November. We won’t hold our breath. 

David Pynn