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Pick Everard team restores water supply used during cholera outbreaks
Cristina Lago Deputy Editor
The Middlesex Filter Beds fell into disrepair after repeated equipment thefts (Image: Pick Everard)
Construction consultancy Pick Everard and contractor Neilcott have completed the restoration of a wetlands area built in the 1800s to fight the London cholera outbreaks.
The Middlesex Filter Beds in the Lee Valley Regional Park, East London, had been abandoned for decades.
They were created in the 19th century to clean the city’s water supplies but were eventually closed and abandoned as a new treatment facility took their place.
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Although the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority later installed a new pump powered by a generator, the system fell into disrepair following multiple equipment thefts.
The restoration project involved installing a new biofuel generator alongside new pumps and control equipment to help reinstate the water supply to the filter beds.
The new generator is housed in a custom welded steel cage reinforced with a mesh plate to secure the site and prevent theft.
Benefits for local wildlife
Pick Everard took part in the project through its Perfect Circle scheme and was appointed through the Scape Built Environment Consultancy Services framework.
Paul Cannaby, director of civil engineering at Pick Everard, said: “This has been an extremely rewarding project to work on, creating a wetlands ecosystem that has huge benefits for the local wildlife and surrounding area.
“Through close liaison with Lee Valley Regional Park Authority and community action groups, we’ve been able to maintain the historical integrity of the site, which was a key objective for the client in meeting a successful delivery programme.”
Pick Everard said it will examine the available options to secure a permanent power supply to the site.
Once the water supply system is reinstated, the area will be monitored by park rangers to ensure water levels are maintained at the correct depth.
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