United Utilities has completed a multi-million pound scheme to upgrade four massive water mains supplying water to around 400,000 people in Liverpool which have been supplying the city since Dickensian times.
The decision to replace the four massive pipes, the oldest of which was laid in 1856, followed two catastrophic bursts on the water network in Huyton and Knowsley in 2007 and 2008.
The pipes which run from Prescot Water Treatment works towards the city centre, vary in size from 36-inch to 44-inch.
Dan Smith, from United Utilities, said the mains had been patched-up over the years and were given a new inner coating in the early 1990s.
“Overhauling pipes of this size, whilst keeping taps flowing for thousands of customers, took careful planning and meant that each pipeline had to be decommissioned, replaced, tested and commissioned as separate pieces of work, almost creating four projects in one.” he added.
The four mains have now all been modernised in a multi-million pound project, which has seen engineers sliding the new pipes through the old ones.
With the UK government demanding a 50% reduction in storm overflow spills by 2029, the era of reactive management is over. Speaking in the House of Commons on 21 July 2025, then environment secretary Steve Reed said, “This Government will cut water companies’ sewage pollution in half by the end of the decade.”
ERG, the leading supplier of odour control systems and industrial gas cleaning & thermal systems, has been awarded the coveted King’s Award for Enterprise.
Welsh Water’s new artificial intelligence-driven tool, ORAI, has been shortlisted for three categories at the prestigious British Data Awards 2026 – underscoring the company’s commitment to using cutting-edge technology to deliver better outcome for customers.
Barhale has completed work on two separate Rapid Action Taskforce Spills projects it is carrying out for Severn Trent.
Hear how Scottish Water has completed its £235 million Ayrshire Glasgow Resilience Project - customers across Greater Glasgow, Ayrshire and East Renfrewshire will now benefit from a more secure and resilient water supply.
Hear how United Utilities is accelerating its investment to reduce spills from storm overflows across the Northwest.
Find out more about the remarkable career opportunities on offer at WSP - scroll down to watch the inspirational video.