Anglian Water has announced that a £600,000 project to replace over five kilometres of Whittlesey’s water pipes will get underway in January.

The company says the scheme - which is due to finish by the end of April - will significantly reduce the chance of leaks and interruptions to supply which have been a problem for residents in recent years.

Residents have also been promised that state-of-the-art techniques will allow the company to complete the work as quickly as possible and with the minimum of disruption.

Work is due to start on January 6, with water mains on Blackbush Drove, Cambers New Drove and Ramsey Road being replaced.

Emma Staples from Anglian Water said: “A project of this scale will inevitably cause some disruption to residents and we’re sorry for the impact this will have. However, we know the people of Whittlesey understand the importance of the scheme and the safeguards it will bring.

“We will be doing all we can to keep inconvenience to a minimum. Rather than digging up almost six kilometres of roads in the area, we will use innovative ‘trenchless’ working techniques which mean we will only need to dig ‘access pits’ at key points along the pipe replacement route. This will speed up the work and mean that roads can re-open as soon as possible.”

Blackbush Drove and Camber New Drove will be closed from January 6 until February 24, to allow the work to be carried out. A diversion will be signposted to take traffic along West Briggate and Ramsey Road, although access will be maintained for residents on closed roads.

Emma continued: “The water supply for properties along the route of the new mains will be interrupted briefly when we swap their service over to the new pipe. This will make sure that their water is kept at the highest standard. We will write to customers well in advance of this happening with a thorough explanation and full details of when and how long their home will be affected.”

A second phase of work to optimise the pressure levels in the water network will take place near King’s Delph later in the new year. This will complement the new mains and help reduce the chance of bursts even further.

Customers with concerns about the project are asked to get in touch with the site team, or contact Anglian Water on 08457 145 145.