One of the pipes keeping water flowing on the Isle of Sheppey
A complex project to restore a stable water supply to an island off the Kent coast is set to be finished by the end of May thanks to support from a leading property consultancy.
The Isle of Sheppey, separated from the Kent mainland by part of the Thames Estuary known as the
Swale, was briefly cut off from water supplies after a water main burst last year.
While emergency supplies were restored quickly, water company Southern Water wanted to install
two pipes across the Swale to make sure water supplies could be maintained if a pipe burst again.
Southern Water instructed leading consultancy firm Fisher German to negotiate land access and
permits for the project.
And after Fisher German successfully negotiated the access with all affected landowners and
stakeholders, the two new pipes are set to be installed and operational by the end of May with one
already installed via directional drill.
James Cole, Senior Associate at Fisher German, said: “Securing land rights for these two pipes was
more difficult than a typical project due to the Isle of Sheppey’s location.
“The Swale is a Site of Special Scientific Interest due to the birds that nest there – which means there
are additional environmental requirements that have to be carefully managed.
“We’ve also supported a second project to refurbish one of the existing pipes as well heading
directly under the Kingsferry Bridge connecting the Isle of Sheppey to the mainland. This required
careful negotiation with Network Rail to ensure there was minimal disruption to rail services across
the bridge.
“Our team worked brilliantly with the affected landowners and port authority to secure terms that
were agreeable to all parties, which meant Southern Water could then get on with installing these
much-needed pipes for the Isle of Sheppey’s 40,000-plus residents.
“We hope our work will help ensure that Sheppey has a stable water supply for years to come.”