United Utilities engineers are working round the clock to support keeps taps flowing in Carlisle after a key water pipe was washed away by last weekend’s storms.

The water company is continuing to use its fleet of water tankers to support water supplies in Carlisle after the damage caused by the adverse weather conditions. The force of water racing along the River Caldew at Dalston was so great that it destabilised a huge water main.

United Utilities said it now has specialist engineers working round the clock to keep water supplied to 7,000 homes in parts of Dalston and on Carlisle’s western fringe.

The main was damaged as the rain-swollen river washed away parts of the riverbank – but because the pipe runs underneath the river it will take at least two weeks to replace.

Several tankers – each capable of holding 27,000 litres of water – have been drafted in to pump supplies directly into the water supply system as engineers work on replacing the damaged pipe.

Experts say that the repair task they now face is “extremely difficult”.

Network manager Paul Hodgson said:

“Over the last few days we’ve laid 900 metres of track to safely get heavy plant and machinery onsite. Drilling at either end of the riverbank has started but this is a complicated and difficult repair as the pipe is underneath the river.

“It’s a big job which could take two weeks to complete, and the challenge is to keep supplies flowing to customers taps. We’re working round the clock to make sure the taps stay on.”

Early in the week, engineers managed to re-route water to 2,000 homes using other parts of the water network. For the other 5,000 properties, water tankers dubbed “water-on-wheels” are being used to top up supplies.