A MAJOR repair effort is underway after a sewage pipe burst in Swindon.

A row of Thames Water tankers filled one lane of Thamesdown Drive near the Tawny Owl and workers fenced off part of the pub's car park on Tuesday while they attended the Haydon End pumping station to sort out the problem.

Passing motorists could be forgiven for feeling a strong sense of deja-vu as a similar rupture occurred in mid-August, though that one was nearer to Queen Elizabeth Drive, where the pumping station itself is based.

According to an email sent to councillors from Thames Water, which has been seen by the Adver, this time the pipe burst near the Kendrick Industrial Estate on Galton Way in Rodbourne and sewage flowed out into a lagoon at the part of Shaw Forest Park close to Sparcells Drive.

On both occasions, waste water leaked into the River Ray.

Swindon Advertiser: Thames Water vehicles and staff visit the sewage pumping station in the Tawny Owl car parkThames Water vehicles and staff visit the sewage pumping station in the Tawny Owl car park (Image: Newsquest)

A Thames Water spokesperson said: “We can confirm that on Monday evening, we responded to a burst sewer near our Haydon End Sewer Pumping station in Swindon.

"Our teams have been working through the night to assess the impact and mobilise tankers.

“Today, tankers are connecting to our sewer network and removing more of the waste water, which will allow us to undertake the repair to the sewer, which will take place later this week.

“Our initial investigations show that due to the burst, some of the waste water is escaping into the nearby Lydiard Brook and River Ray.

"Our tankers are helping to reduce these flows.

"We are monitoring the river’s water quality closely, and are taking steps to help the river recover, including increasing oxygen levels in the river to protect wildlife.

“We’d like to apologise to local residents for any disruption caused by the tankers and to assure customers that they will be able to use water and flush toilets as normal during this time.”

Swindon Advertiser: Repair work is carried out at the Haydon End sewage pumping stationRepair work is carried out at the Haydon End sewage pumping station (Image: Newsquest)

In August, 20 tankers parked along Thamesdown Drive to deal with the previous burst, which took approximately a week to fully repair.

Thames Water and the Environment Agency were called to the area to investigate after fish started dying in the River Ray and Haydon Brook.

The pumping station suffered yet another burst pipe in April 2021.

At this stage, the cause of the most recent break close to previous bursts on the same main is unknown.