Leading inland and coastal waterways civil engineering specialists, Land & Water, has completed its works at Colchester Hospital to re- generate the lake within the grounds on behalf of client East Suffolk & North Essex NHS Foundation Trust. The project, which began in summer 2020, was part of a collaborative group venture between Land & Water Services and Terraqua Environ- mental Solutions (TES) to remove all the water from the lake so that the accumulated silt could be dredged and a new liner fitted. The wet silt was sent to be reused at Land & Water’s habitat creation scheme at Rainham Marshes, which aims to encourage greater areas of greenery along the Thames Corridor whilst creating an oasis for wildlife. Land & Water’s work at Rainham is a significant project that is the result of close collaboration between the PLA (Port of London Author- ity), RSPB and Natural England and uses redundant, non-hazardous waste to create landforms which will maintain the SSSI status of the site whilst increasing biodiversity in the East London corridor. This forms part of the company’s wider commitment to the local environ- ment through removing, reusing, and recycling dredged materials to enhance the ecology of the areas it works in. It also coincides with Land & Water’s ongoing commitment to achiev- ing a disposal policy of less than 10 percent. In fact, the habitat creation scheme at Rainham will see the company operating the 152 hectares of silt lagoons until 2042 and will result in over six million tons of wet and dry spoil material being repurposed to benefit local ecology. This material will not only form the basis of the new landform but is shaped so that the site will collect rainwater to create the wetlands and provide 1,000,000m2 of valuable habitat. Bill Gush, Non-Executive Director at Land & Water, says: “As Land &Water looks to safeguard the future of our planet for the next genera- tion, Rainham Marshes is a forward-thinking project that allows us to reengineer spoil from the Thames and Medway catchments areas to improve the environment around us. “Having access to this innovative solution whilst we work on sites, such as the lake regeneration at Colchester Hospital, allows us to mi- nimise disposal to normal landfills and protect ecosystems providing huge benefits to our clients and the environment.” Land & Water Services, along with TES, also supplied and laid a new lake liner, liner protection, and installed air diffusers on the bed of the lake to oxygenate the water, improving water quality and reducing algae and bacteria which may be harmful to aquatic wildlife. LAND & WATER COMPLETES COLCHESTER HOSPITAL PROJECT
This innovative civil engineering firm prides itself on having the specialist knowledge and equipment to work in areas with sensitive habitats. As a result, fish living in the Colchester lake were rehomed safely and temporary paddling pools erected for ducks and wildfowl to use whilst the works were underway. As part of the project, maintenance services were also carried out to the footpaths around the lake, which included the installation of benches for hospital visitors to sit and enjoy the view of the water and surround- ing landscape. Bill Gush continues: “We are very pleased to have delivered yet anoth- er successful project, which was completed within the client’s budget despite the inevitable disruption caused by COVID-19.” “Initially we had some challenges to overcome, namely the access to the pond, as tree roots had grown along the old liner since it was previ- ously installed. This made it quite challenging to use heavy machinery without damaging the trees. However, we collaborated with the client to agree a solution and the team worked hard to complete the project.” Land & Water Services often collaborates with the different arms of the Land & Water Group during projects across the UK. This allows the business to uniquely and effectively harness different specialisms
32
csengineermag.com
January 2021
Made with FlippingBook Annual report