Innovative pipe pusher named 'George' helping to modernise historic aqueduct serving one million people
An innovative pipe-pushing machine nicknamed ‘George’ is playing a key role in the latest phase of United Utilities' £260 million programme to modernise the Vyrnwy Aqueduct.
Specialist teams are using the custom-built machine to push a new pipe inside a 4.3km section of the existing Victorian pipeline near Delamere Forest, between Tarporley and the Abbey Arms. This section is due for completion by March 2027.
The project is upgrading the vital water supply network that provides drinking water to around one million people across Cheshire and Merseyside.
OCU Group, the contractors working with United Utilities to deliver the project, worked with specialist trenchless equipment manufacturers to develop the UK's largest and most powerful pipe pusher, weighing around 200 tonnes.
Named after George Deacon - the engineer who designed the Vyrnwy aqueduct in the late 1880’s - George is designed to install polyethylene pipes over significantly longer distances than traditional methods and can push pipes up to 2km in a single installation.
The technology allows engineers to install modern pipework while significantly reducing the amount of excavation needed compared with traditional construction methods, helping to minimise disruption for local communities and the environment.
Will Eyre, Regional Delivery Manager for United Utilities, said: "George is a great example of how innovation is helping us deliver one of the largest and most complex water infrastructure projects currently under way in the UK.
"We're modernising a Victorian aqueduct that supplies drinking water to around one million people every day, helping ensure it continues to provide high-quality water for future generations."
The work forms part of United Utilities' Vyrnwy Aqueduct Modernisation Programme (VAMP), a major project designed to upgrade the Victorian aqueduct that carries water from Lake Vyrnwy in Wales to Prescot in Merseyside. The investment will help improve water quality and ensure a critical piece of infrastructure continues to serve customers for generations to come.
The Vyrnwy Aqueduct comprises three parallel pipelines stretching from Powys to Merseyside, travelling 110km. The earliest pipeline, known as Line 1, was constructed between 1881 and 1892, with Line 2 following just over a decade later.
As part of the modernisation programme, United Utilities is currently relining 102km of lines 1 and 2 between Malpas and Prescot by installing new 900mm polyethylene (PE) pipe inside the original cast iron pipelines. Creating this "pipe within a pipe" will help maintain water quality and reduce the risk of discolouration caused by historic mineral deposits that have built up over time.
Marc Reynolds, Regional Director - North & Wales, OCU Group, added: “George is a practical example of how investment in specialist equipment, combined with the expertise of our teams, can help overcome complex engineering challenges.
“Installing longer sections of pipe with fewer excavations allows us to work more efficiently while reducing disruption for local communities and the impact on the surrounding environment. We’re proud to be working with United Utilities to modernise this important asset, helping ensure it continues to provide reliable, high-quality water supplies for generations to come.”
The project presents several significant engineering challenges, with the aqueduct crossing railways, motorways, rivers, canals, and major roads along its route. The work is also being carried out while the aqueduct remains operational, ensuring customers continue to receive a reliable water supply throughout construction.
Alongside the relining programme, United Utilities has completed the cleaning of 36km of the aqueduct's third pipeline using an advanced air-pigging technique. Originally developed for the oil and gas industry, the method uses significantly less water than traditional cleaning approaches and has helped save hundreds of megalitres of water while reducing tanker movements and carbon emissions.
The programme is now around 60 per cent complete and remains a key part of United Utilities' long-term investment in resilient, high-quality drinking water supplies across the North West.
Construction on the Vyrnwy Aqueduct Modernisation Programme (VAMP) started in 2022 and is due for completion in 2028.
