United Utilities forging ahead with water network upgrades in Oldham
United Utilities is investing a further £270,000 to upgrade more than 3km of Oldham’s water mains network.
The three-month project will get underway on 24th November. It will see ageing water mains replaced with new pipeline that is designed to last more than 100 years.
It is 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.
Work is being carried out in Diggle in the residential streets off Huddersfield Road. New pipework will be installed using the slip-lining technique where new pipes are inserted inside the old. This minimises disruption by speeding up progress and reducing the need for large excavations.
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 said: “The improvements we are delivering in Oldham will make the water network in the area more resilient. These replacement mains are built to withstand high pressure and temperature variations which will help protect against bursts.
“This work will play an important role in helping us deliver a reliable water supply to customers for decades to come.”
United Utilities has notified customers in the area to let them know about the project. 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.”