United Utilities is getting work underway today on a further £270,000 investment to upgrade more than 3km of Oldham’s water mains network.

The three-month project will see ageing water mains replaced with new pipeline that is designed to last more than 100 years.

The scheme is part of United Utilities’ £380 million programme to upgrade 925km of water mains during the next five years. More than 200km of these are across Greater Manchester.

New pipework will be installed using the slip-lining technique where new pipes are inserted inside the old, minimising disruption by speeding up progress and reducing the need for large excavations.

The replacement mains are built to withstand high pressure and temperature variations to help protect against burst and reduce leaks.

Liam Garvey from United Utilities’ Water Services team in Greater Manchester said:

“The improvements we are delivering in Oldham will make the water network in the area more resilient. These replacement mains are built to withstand high pressure and temperature variations which will help protect against bursts.

“This work will play an important role in helping us deliver a reliable water supply to customers for decades to come.”