Ritika Janiya
Burst sewer pipe closes road in Exmouth. Quite an unexpected detour in place for it. South West Water is trying hard to fix it by using tankers temporarily and a pipe, also temporary. It occurred near Maer Lane Wastewater Treatment Works. Fixing the things to have it back
Exmouth, usually a quiet and peaceful town, found the quietness disturbed today with quite an unusual problem: a road closure due to a burst sewer pipe that is affecting the residents. This happened near the Maer Lane wastewater works, on a private area of the land. This burst pipe has not only affected general running but also made what would seem like a simple drive down Maer Lane a little more of an adventure.
South West Water, the company in charge of trying to sort out the mess, have responded very quickly. The company is also said to have done everything needed to ensure that the situation would not escalate any further. According to a South West Water staffer, the pipe burst at a particularly awkward spot. The burst pipe has been discovered on private land, which has made it just a little bit more difficult to access the site than might otherwise be the case.
South West Water said several large tankers are in place, removing excess wastewater and preventing more flooding, and further water damage. These tankers haul away sewage that was located around the burst pipe to the nearby treatment works. This is expected to be implemented in the short run to enable the workforce to access the burst pipe and commence the process of restoring the damaged section.
At any rate, it goes without saying that the road closure has caused some inconvenience to the local people and passers-by. Maer Lane is popularly traversed by people around the locality, and its closure could not miss eliciting a few groans and sighs from the people walking their dogs, or riding bikes, or those who drive cars through. There are so many people now drawn to suddenly stop off on the quiet road for a glimpse of the work in place.
South West Water has also assured that it would be doing everything possible to put the situation right as soon as is realistically possible. The spokesman mentioned that besides the responders, an overland pipe would be installed as a temporary solution. What this overland pipe will do is that it will actually redirect the wastewater around the entire damaged section of the sewer. Thus, although not a permanent solution, it will be a great temporary solution that will allow the road to be reopened much sooner than later.
The company did not commit to a timeline within which the permanent repairs should be effected. However, this is the assurance they gave the community for the updates they will be providing. Meanwhile, they are working overtime to ensure that, as much as measures are temporary, they are good enough, and there will be no more people going out of supply in the area any more.
This has underscored the need for both continued maintenance and an upgrade of infrastructure; yet, this is even stumbled upon, again, in small towns like Exmouth. A burst sewer pipe is an ‘accident’ that can occur in any place, but it takes very little to realize just how such small incidents can fundamentally affect the daily routines of people living in that area. South West Water response has been quick, but such incidents remind one that maintenance of infrastructure is an ongoing challenge.
The local community continues to repair itself, showing signs of resilience and adaptability. Most seem to be taking this inconvenience in stride. Some have even found a bit of humor in the situation, with their description of the road now comically being referred to around these parts as the “Soggy Lane Detour” by a few residents.
In the meantime, South West Water hereby asks people to please stay away from the area where the repair had to be done, as the work was complex and done with heavy machinery-it seems rather dangerous to companies to be able to let passersby and people who want to get close to the area just to watch. Understanding and patience from the residents was also asked for by the company as they work to repair the fault.
The accident that recently occurred on Maer Lane is a vivid reminder of how quickly a state of normality can be thrown off balance into the dust of a hurried way of life. Road closures like this are a nuisance; however, SW Water has acted quickly to control affairs before serious damage is or has been done. With those stop gap measures having been imminently put in place, it will not be long before Exmouth life is back to normal once more and Maer Lane becomes a quiet country road again.
So, for now, the current best advice is to simply not approach the area, take an alternate route, travel on with an amused, light heart about the “Soggy Lane” deal, because, hey, therein sometimes lies the best advice: just go with the flow, because there’s a ton of ways to do it!
