A 280-strong team of specialist contractors has undergone rigorous training at a purpose built simulation facility in preparation for a £22 million  survey of one of the UK’s largest and most important water pipes, United Utilities’ Haweswater aqueduct.

 Commissioned in 1955 by the Manchester Corporation, the Haweswater aqueduct is 90km long, hundreds of feet deep in places, and allows 570 million litres of water to flow from Cumbria to Manchester every day.

 Archive image of Haweswater aqueduct construction 

 Water is taken from the aqueduct and supplied into the homes of people across Greater Manchester. The gravity-driven ‘mega-pipe’ is responsible for the water supply of approximately 2 million people.

Now part of United Utilities’ estate, the water company is investing £22 million in a project to conduct a detailed structural analysis of the asset for the first time in its unique history during October.

Carl Sanders, Senior Project Manager at United Utilities, said the size, scope and gravity-fed nature of Haweswater makes it a “stand-out European water asset.”

Explaining the complex nature of the major project, which has been a decade in the planning, Mr Sanders said:

“It’s not like turning off a tap. Draining and shutting down the system to allow maintenance crews in to conduct a thorough analysis, involves over 400 workers in total operating on 45 separate projects to ensure the network of supporting treatment works can ‘take the strain’ while Haweswater is offline.

“Also, with some sections of pipe 19km long and hundreds below ground level, ensuring the safety and wellbeing - both mental and physical - of our crews that enter the aqueduct is vital. The depths, confined spaces and pipe deposits will make it like another planet down there which is why we need to be confident they are up to the task.”

Eighty crew members have been chosen to go into the aqueduct after training at the simulation facility in Kendal, Cumbria. Each had to pass strict health and fitness tests, psychological tests to show they can cope with long periods in small spaces, and underwent specialist training on how to move safely in difficult surroundings.

Mr Sanders continued:

“We had replica pipes built in Kendal to simulate the experience. It will be incredibly dark and slippery. Add to that the curvature of the pipe and you can imagine how difficult it will be to manoeuvre down there. Factor in the additional challenge of collecting structural analysis data and you can see why such detailed training is required.”

As the aqueduct is used to carry drinking water, hygiene is also paramount. In addition to all individuals entering the pipes undergoing health screenings and de-contamination procedures, specially designed cleaning equipment will be used throughout the project to protect the pipe.

When the analysis work is complete, turning the system ‘back-on’ will also involve military precision. Once work has been completed on the main aqueduct, water will be flushed through to Heaton Park reservoir in Manchester – which will take a break from its day-to-day functions specifically for this project - and tested at United Utilities in-house laboratories to confirm quality before the aqueduct is given the operational go-ahead.