United Utilities continues to upgrade Lancashire’s water network

United Utilities is forging ahead with its programme to upgrade the water mains network in Lancashire.

The projects are all part of the water company’s £380m programme to upgrade more than 925km water mains during the next five years. More than 160km of these will be in Lancashire.                                                                                                                         

The latest projects will see the water company investing more than £3m to replace almost 11km of ageing water pipes to help reduce leaks and bursts and improve the reliability of the water supply in the county for years to come.

Several smaller projects are already underway in Blackburn, Brinscall and Chorley and larger projects are also set to start in Blackburn, the Ribble Valley and Accrington.

The replacement mains are built to withstand high pressure and temperature variations to help protect against burst and reduce leaks.

Stephen Walker who heads up Water Services for United Utilities in Lancashire explained: “These new water mains are expected to last for more than 100 years and will help protect against bursts and reduce leaks. They will play an important role in making our water network more robust and help us deliver a reliable water supply to customers for decades to come.”

“We know this type of work can be disruptive and we are doing all we can to keep that to a minimum.”

In Blackburn, 1.5km of mains are being upgraded in Feniscowles in the residential streets of Livesey Branch Road. Most of this will be completed using a trenchless method where new mains are inserted inside the old ones. Work will begin on 3 November and is expected to take around 10 weeks to complete.

In the Ribble Valley, more than 5.7km of new mains are being installed in Balderstone.  Work will be carried out along Bezza Lane, Balderstone Hall Lane, Jackson’s Banks Road, Nightfield Lane, Bowfield Road and Commons Lane. As the roads are narrow, it is necessary to close sections as work is carried out to enable the team to work safely. Diversions will be in place and access to properties will be maintained. Work is set to get underway on 10 November and will run through until March 2026.

In Accrington, almost 1.3km of mains will be upgraded in residential streets between Surrey Street and Waddington Road. The eight-week project will start on 3 November.

Contract partners Network Plus is carrying out the work on behalf of United Utilities.

United Utilities is notifying customers in each area to let them know about the work. They are also reminding customers that all United Utilities’ employees and contract partners carry ID cards and will be happy to have their identity checked. If in doubt, customers should call 0345 672 3723.

More information is available online at www.unitedutilities.com/new-water-pipes.