RESIDENTS of an Exmoor village who have endured nine months of road works and closures while its water mains was replaced were this week being told of more disruption to come in the New Year.
Wessex Water completed the first phase of an £850,000 project in Timberscombe earlier this month to replace an old and leaking network with plastic pipes.
Now, it is preparing to carry out the next phase on the edge of the village starting in January, which is scheduled to last for a further five months, taking the disruption to more than a year in total.
A public drop-in session planned in the village hall from Thursday evening (September 26) was being used by the water company to explain details of the new work.
The next section of the mains replacement will take place on Clouds Steep, Cowbridge, and the A396 Dunster to Timberscombe road to the north of the village.
The work is expected to last until May, 2025.
Project manager Egidijus Mockevicius said: “The nature of the work means a road closure will be required to complete this final phase.
“We are exploring options to reduce the length of the scheme and further reduce local inconvenience, including the possibility of our team working through the nights.”
Mr Mockevicius said members of both Wessex Water’s operational and engineering teams were attending the drop-in session to provide more information about the project and answer people’s questions.
He said the firm had split the project into two phases to try to reduce disruption for villagers.
Mr Mockevicius said after the public drop-in session the company would also write again to residents to fully outline details and dates of the scheme.
He said: “We know that some customers need extra help due to age, ill health, a disability, mental illness, or additional needs.
“This may include easy access to water during a leak or outage, help reading your meter, or setting up a password for when we visit.”
Anybody who did need such help could register for priority services on Wessex Water’s website here or call 0345 600 4 600.