Almost £4m has been invested in environmental improvements and protection in a Redcar and Cleveland village.
Northumbrian Water has carried out upgrades to its sewer network in the Lingdale area, constructing 1.8km of new pipework to separate surface water from storms, away from the pipes that carry sewage away from local homes. A new below-ground storage tank and 150 metres of new combined sewer will also help to manage flows within the network.
The £3.86m investment will help to protect the Holme Beck, reducing spills by more than 80% to a maximum of ten a year on average. Work was carried out by the water company’s partner, Esh-Stantec, and took place around Stanghow Road, Dale Terrace and the Balmoral Road Estate, with the new storage tank installed in farmland south of Hill Croft.
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.
Charles Harman, Northumbrian Water’s Project Manager, said: “This project was one we started early in our storm overflow spill reduction programme and it is great to see that it is now complete, delivering for the environment and our customers who are so passionate about the area in which they live.
“We’re grateful to the local community for their patience while we carried out this work over the last ten months, because we know how disruptive it can be, especially over a sustained period.”