Mundesley Beach protected from sewage as engineers tackle fractured pipe
Anglian Water teams are using tankers and emergency measures to prevent leakage.
Engineers say they are operating around the clock to prevent sewage from leaking into the sea at Mundesley Beach after a suspected pipe fracture was identified.
Anglian Water workers have been using tankers to pump wastewater away from the affected area for several days in an effort to mitigate damage and protect both the beach and the nearby environment.
The suspected fracture was detected close to Mundesley's volunteer inshore lifeboat station. While there were concerns it could disrupt emergency operations, it has not caused any issues.
Paston Road has been closed to allow investigations into the pipe failure and facilitate necessary repairs.
One local resident described the operation, highlighting that sewage is being pumped from the beach to the top of the cliffs for removal via tankers.
Harry Blathwayt, cabinet member for coast at North Norfolk District Council, praised Anglian Water’s quick response.
Speaking about the measures taken, Blathwayt commented:
“The tankers are stopping anything from going through the pipe. It has been managed well by Anglian Water and there has not been a major spillage.
“Alarm systems indicated there was a fracture in the pipe and its teams urgently responded.
“The pipes are running through unstable cliffs at Mundesley so they have to regularly monitor for fractures.”
An Anglian Water spokesperson acknowledged the complexity of the repairs, confirming that teams are working hard to fix the burst pipe and prevent wastewater spilled at the pumping station next to Mundesley Beach.
“Our teams are on site fixing a burst sewer pipe at our pumping station next to Mundesley Beach. This is a complex repair, but we’re working hard to get it done as soon as we can. To keep the sewer flowing, we’ve got tankers on site to take away wastewater to our nearby treatment works.
“Due to the wet weather conditions over the weekend, we had to increase the number of tankers on site.
“We know tankers are noisy, so we’re very sorry for any disruption the tankers, or the road closure, are causing while they’re in use. We’d like to thank our customers in Mundesley for bearing with us while we get things back to normal.”
An emergency road closure remains in effect on Paston Road to enable safety while tankers are in operation and repairs continue.