THE mysterious case of the disappearing canal at East Wichel appears to have been cracked – at last.

An investigation into falling water levels began more than two years ago in June 2019 when Swindon Borough Council teamed up with the Wilts and Berks Canal Trust to solve the issue.

When the problem was first discovered trials including pumping water from the nearby lake and diverting it from the roads.

The slow and meticulous task of sectioning off parts of the canal with dams – or bunds – so they could isolate areas of water and see whether the levels dropped in specific parts of the canal then followed, as well as other tests. 

But it appears the source of the issue has finally been found, with the council posing an update on its Facebook page.

It read: “It has been a slow and painstaking process but we are finally making progress in our attempts to solve the mystery of the leaking canal in East Wichel. 

“After months of monitoring the water levels using bunds to split the canal into sections, we have identified an area where water levels have been dropping rapidly.

“Further investigations have revealed that water is being lost through the base of the canal into a culvert, which runs underneath and links drainage ditches to the north and south.

“Our contractor Fox (Owmby) Ltd will now begin work to shore up the canal to make it watertight. 

“We expect the work to take around six weeks to complete, depending on the weather.”
Deputy council leader and cabinet member for strategic infrastructure Gary Sumner said:

“The canal is a wonderful feature within Wichelstowe and we have been working hard to identify the cause of the problem. 

“But trying to find the source of the leak is easier said than done, which is why it has taken so long.

“Once these works are complete, the canal will be monitored again over the winter to test the repairs have been successful and we will continue to explore if there are further leaks or water supply issues in the western section by the lakes.”