Anglian Water has begun upgrades in Shotley which will see the replacement of 13km of water pipes to ensure that water supplies are safe and reliable for decades to come.

The water company sends nearly a billion of litres of clean and healthy drinking water to its customers each and every day, and to achieve this, the infrastructure needs maintenance and investment to ensure the taps can keep running over the next few decades.

When pipes get old, they’re more likely to burst or leak – meaning customers could experience low pressures or interruptions to their water supplies. With the added pressure of a changing climate, more aging water mains are at risk of failing under extreme weather conditions.

The £8.5 million project has already begun, and a temporary compound and site welfare area has been set up.

The pipe laying between Shotley and Freston will begin on 11 June, using a mix of techniques to reduce disruption as much as possible. The first set of traffic management will also begin with traffic lights on the B1456.

Once the pipes are installed, they will need to be connected to the existing water network. To complete this, there may be some interruptions to customers' supplies for a short period.
Michael Smith, Customer Experience Specialist for the project said: “We operate in the driest region of the country, but the East of England is also one of the fastest growing areas, and we need to ensure there is enough water for everyone.

“As part of our Water Resources Management Plan (WRMP), we’re continuing to ensure that all our customers have a resilient supply of the highest quality drinking water. The project will ensure that we can keep taps running and toilets flushing for residents in Shotley and the surrounding areas.”

The WRMP, published every five years, outlines how Anglian Water manages current and future water needs across the region. Without such proactive planning and investment, there will simply not be enough water to supply customers in the East of England.

This year’s work follows what may be the UK’s driest spring in a century. With summer approaching, Anglian Water is encouraging customers to be water-wise ahead of the warmer months, to keep supplies readily available for the region.

From taking shorter showers to putting a full load in your washing machine (saving up to 10 litres of water) little steps can really make a difference. For more water-saving tips, visit our website: Water Saving Tips.

Further information and updates about the work in Shotley can be found here.