A team of water workers are getting started on a £2.5m project to protect water supplies in a County Durham village.
Northumbrian Water is working with its partner United Infrastructure to renew 9km of water mains in the Edmundbyers area, near Consett.
This follows the completion of a further 6km of mains renewal on a previous phase of work. The team is returning to carry out 10 months of work on pipes running from Edmundbyers to Blanchland.
The team have planned the project to minimise the impact in the village, using tunnelling techniques that allow them to progress quickly, and minimising the amount of time they are outside people’s homes.
Traffic management will be used to ensure the safety of the team and motorists, with an initial road closure and short diversion signposted during the early parts of the work, beginning early January 2026.
United Infrastructure will have a Customer Service Technician working as part of the team, helping to act as support and liaison for customers, should they need help or have questions. Additionally, letters will be delivered to customers, keeping them informed of any work near their homes.
Care was taken in advance of the work to ensure that the area’s rich archaeological and environmental nature was protected, and this final phase of work has been timed to avoid the holiday park’s summer season.
Brian Hardy, Project Manager at Northumbrian Water, said: “This is a big project for a small community, but by renewing the area’s ageing water mains all in one go, we can avoid the need to return on multiple occasions, adding resilience and protecting supplies for future generations.
“We know this will be disruptive, so our partners, United Infrastructure, will have a dedicated liaison on site, enabling people to get a quick response should any issues arise.
“We will also be updating customers prior any work near their homes, so they know what to expect from those elements of work.”