£22m Severn Trent project begins – bringing weeks of disruption on major A-road near popular Peak District attraction

Severn Trent is securing future water supply for thousands of homes and businesses across Derbyshire through a series of resilience projects totalling £22 million on the Derwent Valley Aqueduct (DVA).

These projects will support the Victorian aqueduct, which provides water to thousands of homes across the Derwent Valley, by enhancing and upgrading key parts of the surrounding network.

Work on the initial £500,000 phase, which will see 600m of new water pipes laid along the A619 in Baslow between the Devonshire Arms and Bar Brook crossing, begun yesterday (January 8).

The first scheme will be delivered in three phases, with the full project expected to be completed by June 2024.

Temporary traffic lights have been put in place along the A619 at Baslow, where they will remain for five weeks. From early February, a clockwise one-way system will be in effect for four weeks on Nether End and Church Lane.

Between early March and late June, work will continue to take place on private land off the A619. During this period, there will be no impact on traffic travelling through Baslow.

Christina Massey, Community Communications Officer at Severn Trent, said: “The DVA resilience project is a really important piece of investment that will ensure a continued supply of water for thousands of homes and businesses in case of any issues with the aqueduct itself.

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“Our priority is to ensure that our customers have access to clean, safe drinking water whenever they need it – and upgrades such as this are crucial in making sure we meet this commitment.

“We absolutely understand how frustrating roadworks can be, but the use of temporary traffic lights will keep people safe and allow us to deliver the work quickly. We would like to thank everyone for their patience and apologise in advance for any disruption while we make this important upgrade.”