Teams of engineers and other specialist staff at Untited Utilities are continuing to work around the clock to maintain water supplies and wastewater services to customers in Cumbria and Lancaster after the weekend floods.
In Keswick, work is underway to get Keswick’s Bridge End water treatment works back up and running after it was submerged by floodwater on Saturday. Engineers have begun the process of restoring the plant’s pumps in the interim and giant ‘water on wheels’ tankers are pumping drinking water directly into the pipe network. One of the two storage reservoirs supplying water to the town centre isn’t currently operational and which could affect supplies in and around the town centre.
United Utilities said its efforts are so far proving successful in keeping the majority of customers on supply but some properties at higher locations still have poor pressure or loss of supply, particularly at times of peak demand.
In Borrowdale valley, 150 properties are still without water this morning as a result of a water mains burst. Now the roads re-opened, United Utilities’ engineers will also be able to get in to assess the condition of the broken main and begin repairs so that supplies can be restored. In Langwathby, 120 properties are back on supply as water was brought in to the area through other pipes - repairs to a damaged water main under river Eden are underway.
In Lancaster, 88 properties have been without water following widespread power loss in Lancaster following the flooding of an Electricity North West substation which impacted some of the pumps used to transport water to customers’ taps.
United Utilities said its wastewater service has also been affected by flooding, impacting treatment works at Carlisle, Kendal, Garstang and Lancaster, commenting:
“Work is underway, in very challenging conditions, to get these sites functioning as normal and our teams have been visiting our wastewater pumping stations to check they are working normally.”
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