On Fri, 04 Jun 2010 22:26:30 +0100, Charles Ellson
wrote:

On Thu, 03 Jun 2010 22:13:18 +0100, Bruce
wrote:
It was mainly due to the closure of Walker's brewery, which used to
draw water from a 2' 6" diameter well that was located very close to
the running tunnel. It burst into the tunnel during construction and
flooded the workings, delaying the contract by many months.

Other businesses drew water from the ground but Walker's was by far
the largest user.

There is also the problem that the groundwater is becoming saline.

That was the wrong sort of water that I had in mind. AFAIR it does not
take a lot of salt to greatly increase any corrosive reactions
involving water.


Indeed.

I don't know why it should be more saline than before. The fresh
water table under the city is rising, and one would have expected that
to generate a fresh water flow towards the (saline) river, not a
saline flow away from it.

Is there a hydrogeologist in the house? ;-)