Planned new multi million pound water supply that’s in the pipeline   Schemes to safeguard water supplies to Gloucestershire will come under scrutiny at Shire Hall, Gloucester today, Thursday.

  Severn Trent Water will update county councillors on their plans for a multi million pound pipeline - part of a £25 million package, that would guarantee supplies to Gloucester and Cheltenham if ever the Mythe Treatment Works failed again.

  The plans were first outlined to Gloucestershire County Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee in March following recommendations made as part of the County Council scrutiny Inquiry into the Summer Emergencies of 2007.  That Inquiry investigated both the extensive flooding and subsequent loss of water supply when thousands of homes and businesses were without water for almost three weeks.

  Severn Trent's water services manager Alan Payne will also give a progress report on a proposed new pipeline running from Strensham to Tewkesbury and a further scheme to guarantee supplies from the Mitcheldean water treatment works in the Forest of Dean.

  He is also due to give more details of plans to improve the resilience of the Big Normans Pumping Station, part of the Gloucester Sewerage Strategy.

  Scrutiny Committee chairman Cllr Rob Garnham said, “I understand Severn Trent’s timetable may have to be altered because the work takes them onto land that could be of archaeological significance.

  “Obviously, any potential delays are disappointing as we want it done as quickly as possible but from what I have seen, there is a lot more to be positive about in Severn Trent’s report.

  “The events of last summer were a bit of a wake-up call for water companies and utilities. Since then, Severn Trent have taken on board the lessons learned, have been very cooperative and I am very pleased with the work they are doing to address the weaknesses we exposed in our post flood inquiry”.