Pipe to be regularly inspected after sewage issue

The frequency of inspections at an outfall pipe will be increased after BBC footage revealed it was broken and discharging sewage closer to the shore than it should.

The last full survey of the pipe, which discharges sewage from 75 homes in Fort George into Soldier's Bay along Guernsey's coast, was during 2015 and another was scheduled for this summer.

But following the discovery of the fault, Guernsey Water has removed the part of the pipe causing the issue and are creating a new one at Brickfield House.

The utility firm said it was "assessing the earliest possible feasible time for the new section of the pipe to be installed and will keep the public informed".

Following "poor" water quality test results on 7 July, swimmers at Havelet Bay raised concerns about the impact of the faulty sewage pipe on bathing water.

However the Office for Environmental Health and Pollution Regulation (OEHPR) said there was no evidence linking the broken pipe at Fort George to issues with water quality.

Deputy Andy Cameron raised concerns about the outfall pipe in the States earlier this year, but States Trading Supervisory Board President Mark Helyar said there were no plans to replace it.

Cameron suggested installing a sign to warn swimmers about the outfall pipe or getting residents at Fort George to pay to connect themselves to the main network.

The BBC has contacted representatives of the Fort George residents association, but has not received a response.

Guernsey Water said some of the infrastructure at Fort George was checked remotely every day with larger solids collected there removed.

"The Guernsey Water control room also monitors the outfall and is automatically alerted if the screens are bypassed, which might occur if they become blocked or overwhelmed by high flows," the firm added.

"Periodic surveys of the outfalls are also carried out above and below water.

"The last survey of the Fort George outfall was carried out in 2015 and the Belle Greve outfall was last surveyed in 2017.

"Both were scheduled to be surveyed at the same time this year during summer."

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