United Utilities has launched a fully-digital exhibition after Covid lockdown called a halt to its planned public exhibitions showcasing proposals to refurbish the Haweswater Aqueduct.

Residents living along the route of the pipeline, which runs from Cumbria, through Lancashire and into Greater Manchester, can now view all the information about this mammoth engineering project online.

The ground-breaking virtual exhibition allows viewers to see the planned route of the works and provides the opportunity to speak to the project team and share their views of the plans.

Jemma Parkinson, stakeholder manager for the Haweswater Aqueduct Resilience Programme (HARP), said:

“We’re committed to working with and supporting the communities we serve and have developed a comprehensive public consultation programme.

“In March 2020 we held several public exhibitions and received some valuable feedback from these events.

“Unfortunately, social distancing guidelines, introduced as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak, meant that we had to cancel the final five face-to-face exhibitions.

“We’re determined to continue with our public consultation which is why we’ve created virtual exhibitions instead.”

The company is also planning to host online video meetings with councillors, MPs and other stakeholders.

“We recognise that not everyone has access to the internet therefore hardcopy packs, which contain exactly the same information as the virtual exhibitions, will be available where needed.” Jemma Parkinson added.

The Haweswater Aqueduct was built between 1933 and 1955 and has supplied drinking water via gravity to 2.5 million people in Cumbria, Lancashire and Greater Manchester for more than sixty years.

When it was built, the 109km underground aqueduct was one of the biggest infrastructure projects in the country and remains the backbone of the North West’s water supply.

United Utilities is aiming to submit planning applications in Spring 2021.

 Visit www.harpconsultation.co.uk to view the plans online