After three years of planning and engineering work and more than 4,000 metres of pipe, work on Carlisle's £10 million sewer expansion scheme concluded on schedule this week.

The programme to increase the capacity of the city's sewers began back in May 2008. Engineers spent six months working in the Willowholme area, before moving onto Warwick Road and surrounding streets in October 2008.

Over the past week, United Utilities' contractors have finished converting a temporary site compound area at Newman school back to its former grassy appearance - a final act that marked the completion of the scheme. The city now has a sewer system better able to cope with the kind of torrential rain that caused the notorious floods of 2005.

John Parr from United Utilities, project manager on the scheme, said:

"The new sewer system is a really important legacy for Carlisle. For many residents, the floods of 2005 are etched on their memories. The improvements will deliver better protection for the flooding 'hot spots' in the city.

"With flood warnings issued in many parts of the UK recently, and a winter of predicted heavy rain to come, the completion of this scheme couldn't have come at a better time."

United Utilities worked closely with many partner organisations during the work, from the Environment Agency to Carlisle City Council. Local authorities from other parts of the country, tasked with improving flood defences, have recently been to visit the scheme.John Parr added: "There has been a lot of interest in from other parts of the UK. Authorities have been looking at what we have achieved here, to see if they can emulate it in their own regions. It has become an exemplar project."