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The second phase of a £10m investment aimed at protecting the environment in a County Durham village is about to begin.
Northumbrian Water will this month (July) complete work on the first of two projects in Pelton, near Chester-le-Street, ready to start on the second in August. The work will reduce the frequency of spills from local storm overflows, protecting and improving water quality in the Chester Burn and Cong Burn, as well as watercourses downstream.
On land next to Pelton Community Primary School, new sewer pipes and underground stormwater storage have been constructed. This adds capacity to the local combined sewage and rainwater network, reducing the chances of it over-filling during periods of heavy rainfall.
Now, similar upgrades will be installed in land south of The Wynd, with work expected to be completed by the end of March 2027.
Northumbrian Water’s partner, Avove, is carrying out both projects, helping to reduce spills from each of the two storm overflows to less than ten a year.
Storm overflows act as relief valves in the combined sewage and surface water network. This protects homes and businesses from sewer flooding at times of heavy rainfall.
Christopher Bond, Northumbrian Water’s Project Manager, said: “This is an important double investment in the local environment at Pelton, reducing spills and contributing to better water quality in the area. Completing the work near the school is a huge milestone and we’re really looking forward to getting going with the work near The Wynd.
“We’re investing £1.7bn across five years to protect and enhance the environment, and reducing storm overflow spills is a big part of that. The progress we are making here at Pelton is a great local example of this, and we are grateful to the community here for their patience and understanding while we’re carrying out this work.”
Dean Wallace, Senior Project Manager at Avove, added: “Reaching this milestone is a significant step forward for the project and reflects the strong collaboration between Avove and Northumbrian Water. Together, we are delivering improvements that strengthen the local network and reduce the impact of storm overflows on nearby watercourses, particularly during periods of heavy rainfall.
“As we move into the next phase, we will continue working closely with Northumbrian Water, our partners and the local community to complete the remaining upgrades safely and efficiently.”