Not the most exciting CSO, but worth posting due to the awkwardness of the surrounding setup in an uneven terrain. Situated in north Manchester, a relatively small interceptor makes its way through the steep hillside of Drinkwater Park, appearing above ground on a couple of occasions as an iron pipe as it crosses large ditches. The first crossing comprises of just a pipe with an inspection chamber either end. (The above-ground photos were taken earlier this year).
The upstream inspection chamber with displaced lid.
About 100 metres downstream, the interceptor crosses another ditch via an iron pipe, this time with inspection chambers either side of the ditch, each receiving a connection from a trunk sewer. A CSO chamber (centre bottom) is situated on the flow of one of the trunk sewers immediately before it connects with the interceptor in the second inspection chamber (middle right).
The unusually tall inspection chambers have to do with the water level reached at high flows, which becomes higher than the ground level in the immediate area. The upstream of each trunk sewer, which connects with the chambers, cascades down an array of inspection chambers from the housing estate above. It would appear that the CSO chamber is not there simply to regulate the flow of the trunk sewer which runs through it, but to regulate the overall water level of the surrounding system. The water level will be the same in all of the chambers during flooding.
The CSO chamber is comprised mostly of brick, with a channel supported by brick columns running through the middle, carrying the trunk sewer.
Iron weirs are in place either side of the channel.
The electronic device on the wall above the downstream section is an ultrasonic level detector, connected to a data logger just below the chamber manhole cover, which alerts UU via the mobile phone network when the CSO is in flood.
From here this trunk sewer joins the interceptor a few metres downstream, which eventually connects with a larger interceptor to Prestwich pumping station. From there, the local sewage is pumped via a sewer force-main to Ringley WWTW.
The upstream inspection chamber with displaced lid.
About 100 metres downstream, the interceptor crosses another ditch via an iron pipe, this time with inspection chambers either side of the ditch, each receiving a connection from a trunk sewer. A CSO chamber (centre bottom) is situated on the flow of one of the trunk sewers immediately before it connects with the interceptor in the second inspection chamber (middle right).
The unusually tall inspection chambers have to do with the water level reached at high flows, which becomes higher than the ground level in the immediate area. The upstream of each trunk sewer, which connects with the chambers, cascades down an array of inspection chambers from the housing estate above. It would appear that the CSO chamber is not there simply to regulate the flow of the trunk sewer which runs through it, but to regulate the overall water level of the surrounding system. The water level will be the same in all of the chambers during flooding.
The CSO chamber is comprised mostly of brick, with a channel supported by brick columns running through the middle, carrying the trunk sewer.
Iron weirs are in place either side of the channel.
The electronic device on the wall above the downstream section is an ultrasonic level detector, connected to a data logger just below the chamber manhole cover, which alerts UU via the mobile phone network when the CSO is in flood.
From here this trunk sewer joins the interceptor a few metres downstream, which eventually connects with a larger interceptor to Prestwich pumping station. From there, the local sewage is pumped via a sewer force-main to Ringley WWTW.
Last edited: