A project to reduce sewer spills and protect the environment in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, has been completed.
Northumbrian Water has invested £925,000 in work in Etherley Lane to separate parts of the sewer network from the drains that carry surface water, in order to reduce the number of spills from a nearby storm overflow (SO).
The investment will help protect and improve water quality in the Coal Burn, as well as the River Wear, downstream, by reducing spills from that SO by more than 80%, to a maximum of ten a year on average.
The work started in January and has been carried out by Northumbrian Water’s partner, Esh-Stantec.
Charles Harman, Northumbrian Water’s Project Manager, said: “Investment in protecting the environment is taking place at locations across the region and this was a great example of work that will make a difference locally.
“Storm overflows protect homes from sewer flooding by operating as relief valves on the combined sewer networks that carry both sewage and rainwater. Separating the sewers from surface water drainage reduces the additional flows caused by heavy rain, freeing up space in the network and reducing spills.
“We would like to thank people living in Etherley Lane and Ediscum Garth, and those whose regular driving route passes through the area, for their patience while we carried out this important work.”