Work to start on final stage of £1 million Essex pumping station upgrade

Work is due to begin on the final stage of a £1 million (€1.12 million) project to refurbish the Parkeston pumping station in Essex, UK, according to a government release.

Located at the lower end of the Ramsey/Dock River near Harwich, the pumping station protects homes and businesses in the area from flooding risk.

The final stage of the two-year upgrade project includes the replacement of the debris screen, concrete river banks and a footbridge. New piping will also be installed for emergency pumps.

“The work will ensure the pumping station can provide the best possible level of flood protection to the low lying areas of Parkeston and Ramsey,” said Robert Brown, project lead at the Environment Agency. “Without the weed screen the pumps would block and the water levels would rise significantly until they reached the lowest point of the railway embankment.

“We have also been reviewing our emergency plans for the site. In the unlikely event the site has a problem we can set up large temporary pumps. Currently, this would involve closing the railway line, so we are installing permanent pipework to allow the railway to continue to operate. The Ramsey/Dock River cannot naturally flow into the Stour estuary so all of the water, including flood water, needs to be lifted up by the pumps into the estuary.”

The work, which is being carried out by Jackson Civil Engineering, will begin in early June and should be completed within 18 weeks.