A £500,000 project to secure and enhance water supplies on the Isle of Purbeck has been completed – three days ahead of schedule.

A scheme by Wessex Water to relocate and replace a degrading water main close to Corfe Castle was finalised this week, with a short section of the B3351 near Dorset Adventure Park just outside the village being reopened to through traffic following a five-week closure.

Engineers from the company said the new pipe will enhance water quality and improve reliability to cope with increasing demand after redesigning the project so the vast majority of more than 1,000 metres of new main was moved out of the road and on to adjacent land, minimising the impact of the work.
The road closure, agreed with Dorset Council, took place away from the busy summer holiday season and during a period in which the chain ferry that crosses the entrance to Poole Harbour between Sandbanks and Shell Bay, Studland, has been closed for maintenance, to minimise the effects of continued disruption on local communities.
Wessex Water project manager, Louie Cosentino, said: “This was a major investment to repair a cast-iron water main that has burst regularly over the last decade and was no longer suitable for the demand being placed on it.
“The new main is a significant step to both boosting the water quality and improving the reliability of supply for the future and moving the bulk of the pipe out of the road will hopefully reduce potential further disruption in the future.
“Along with the local authority, we worked hard to find a window for the project that would avoid disruption over a much longer period and we thank them, as well as all residents, businesses and the communities in the area for their co-operation, patience and understanding while this essential project was carried out.
“We apologise for any inconvenience caused and have written to both local residents, businesses and parish councils to inform them about the project’s completion.”
The B3351 is now fully reopened to through traffic at Corfe Castle, he added.