United Utilities continues with upgrades to Greater Manchester’s water network

United Utilities is forging ahead with its programme to upgrade Greater Manchester’s water mains.

Four more projects to upgrade more than 11km of mains are now underway in Stockport, Didsbury and Ashton in Makerfield.

United Utilities is investing more than £3m with these projects to replace ageing water pipes to help reduce leaks and bursts and improve the reliability of the water supply in the area for years to come.

They are part of United Utilities’ £380m programme to upgrade 925km of water mains during the next five years. More than 200km of these are across Greater Manchester.

In Heald Green, 3.5km of new water mains will be upgraded during the next four months. Most of the work will take place in residential areas around Outwood Road and Cross Street.

In Heaton Mersey, a three-month project to upgrade 2.8km of new mains in the residential area between Didsbury Road and Craig Road is underway. Most of the work will be completed using the ‘slip-lining’ technique where new pipes are inserted inside the old main.

In Didsbury, more than 1km of mains will be upgraded in the residential streets between Fog Lane and Wilmslow Road. This work is expected to take five weeks to complete.

And in Ashton in Makerfield, Wigan, more than 3.8km of new mains are being introduced in a three-month project in residential areas adjacent to Wigan Road.

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

Liam Garvey from United Utilities’ water services team in Greater Manchester explained: “The improvements we are delivering in Stockport is part of the work we are carrying out across Greater Manchester to replace old water mains with new pipes that are much stronger and more resilient.  .

“The new mains are designed to withstand greater fluctuations in temperature and higher pressures. They are expected to last more than 100 years and 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.”

United Utilities has notified customers in areas where work is taking place. 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.

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

Projects in Swinton, Failsworth, Gorton, Shaw, Stalybridge, Sale and Blackley are set to get underway by the end of the month.

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