Northumbrian Water starts work this month on a project to protect the environment in County Durham.
The work will see the water company investing in reducing spills from storm overflows in South Stanley and Craghead.
Over the next three months, Northumbrian Water and its partner, Esh-Stantec, will construct a new storage tank to add capacity to its network, protecting the Stanley Burn. This work will largely take place in land near Bronte Place, with a smaller element in the road between Bronte Place and Nightingale Place.
Storm overflows act as relief valves in the network, protecting homes from a mix of rainwater and sewage backing up into homes and businesses during heavy downpours.
This work will reduce spills from a nearby storm overflow, the first of ten that the water company is investing in, in the area, over the next two years, representing an investment of more than £18m. Work on site is anticipated to begin on the other nine in the summer of 2026.
The project at South Stanley and Craghead is part of a £1.7bn, five year programme of investment in work to protect the North East environment, and complements a separate piece of flood risk reduction work already underway nearby.
The water company also started work on a £3.8m project in South Moor in August, in partnership with Durham County Council and the Environment Agency. This separate, 18-month project will see more than 1,800 metres of new surface water sewers being installed as part of the innovative Northumbria Integrated Drainage Partnership (NIDP).
David Groark, Northumbrian Water’s Project Manager, said: “This latest project in South Stanley is targeting the issue of storm overflow spills, by increasing the resilience of our network to better deal with increased heavy rainfall events and population growth.
“We have the same project partners, Esh-Stantec, working on this, as well as the NIDP activity at South Stanley and Craghead, so we can maximise our ability to coordinate work within the community and make an even bigger impact for the environment.
“We will be keeping customers up to date as things progress, including on our Community Hub, where we have a dedicated page covering both pieces of work in the area.
“With work taking place in the late winter, into the spring, we’re very conscious of the impact upon the grassed area, so we will be returning at the best time of year to ensure the land is fully reinstated for the community to enjoy.”