Half a million people in the North East are set to benefit from a major water quality scheme which began this week with the start of the second phase of Northumbrian Water’s £30 million mains cleaning programme.

The work, which will take up to three years to complete and is the largest scheme of its type to ever be carried out in the region, will involve cleaning and upgrading 140 km of trunk water mains and the installation of a new 16 km main.  The scheme will maintain and further improve tap water quality for 500,000 customers living in South East Northumberland, North Tyneside and the north of Newcastle.

Trunk water mains are large diameter pipes which transfer water around the network – smaller diameter water pipes, known as distribution mains, then supply tap water to customers’ properties.  Over a long period of time a layer of sediment, which is not harmful to health, can build up on the inside of trunk water mains and can result in discoloured water.  Some of the massive trunk mains which will be cleaned have a diameter of up to one metre. The first phase of preparation work, which began in February last year, is almost complete and has progressed well.

Eighty-five separate sections of pipe (123 km) will be cleaned and 17 km is to be upgraded.  The cleaning work will involve emptying, cleaning, refilling and disinfecting the sections of pipe, some of which are up to 48” in diameter.  Water quality and pressure tests will be completed before the supply is put back into service.

Graham Neave, Northumbrian Water’s operations director, said: 

“Ensuring customers receive excellent quality tap water is one of our top priorities.  We all rely on this essential necessity as part of our everyday life.  Although discoloured water is not harmful to health we appreciate it is not acceptable or pleasant and this work will significantly reduce the risk of discoloured water.