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United Utilities

United Utilities provide water and wastewater services to around 3 million homes and 200,000 businesses in north-west England.

Every day, 2,000 million litres of treated water is distributed through a network of 42,000km of water mains and 1,400km of aqueducts. Raw water is collected and stored at the company’s reservoirs before being treated at one of 96 water treatment works. Wastewater is collected and distributed through a network of 72,000km of sewers and treated at the company’s 575 wastewater treatment works before being returned to the environment.

Burnley WwTW Catchment Strategy (2024)

Case study 4: Delivering river water quality improvements to Pendle Water and River Calder through an integrated catchment solution

Macclesfield WwTW (2024)

Construction of United Utilities first innovative MOB^TM treatment process, to improve the water quality in the River Bollin by December 2024

Birds Park Impounding Reservoir (2023)

Birds Park Reservoir is no longer used for water supply and is enjoyed by the community for recreation. Constructed around 1850, the dam is an earth embankment, 45m long and 13.8m high, perched above a residential area near Kendal, Cumbria. There are no historical drawings, and limited site investigation data was available but it was […]

Burnley WwTW Catchment Strategy (2023)

The Burnley integrated catchment scheme is one of United Utilities’ (UU) largest AMP7 projects with a value of £77m. The project is being delivered by UU’s construction delivery partner (CDP) framework by Advance-plus, a joint venture between MWH Treatment, J Murphy & Sons (JMS) and Stantec UK. The project commenced in 2020 and through two […]

Clough Bottom Impounding Reservoir (2023)

Clough Bottom Impounding Reservoir (IR) is an earth-fill embankment reservoir located on the eastern edge of the West Pennine Moors, around 4km north east of Rawtenstall, Lancashire. The reservoir is currently used for public water supply and compensation flows. The reservoir was formed by the construction of an earth embankment across the Whitewell Brook and […]

Hathershaw Fields CSO & Bardsley WwPS (2023)

Improving water quality in the River Medlock by installing new powered screens at existing sites in Oldham, Greater Manchester

Rivington Upper Impounding Reservoir (2023)

United Utilities and Managed Service Provider (MSP) Costain have delivered improvements to the existing spillway at Rivington Upper Impounding Reservoir in Lancashire. The team worked collaboratively, undertaking a complex construction programme in challenging conditions, while managing the operational needs of the reservoir site and popular recreational area. The main objective was to upgrade the existing […]

Alston Spade Mill Pipeline (2022)

The Alston Spade Mill Pipeline project forms a key part of the United Utilities AMP7 programme and will ensure that the currently untapped resource at four local reservoirs in Lancashire is utilised and will boost the available water in the network without having an additional impact on the environment. Currently the four reservoirs have been […]

Audley & Alsager WwTWs (2022)

United Utilities, through two major capital projects, is investing over £25m at Audley and Alsager Wastewater Treatment Works (WwTWs), between 2020 and 2025. This is to meet new regulatory permits under the Environment Agency’s Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP). Audley and Alsager WwTWs are located in East Cheshire and serve a population of 9,000 […]

Blackburn and Darwen WwTWs (2022)

Both Blackburn WwTW and Darwen WwTW discharge final and storm effluent to watercourses that are tributaries of the River Darwen, feeding into the River Ribble estuary and the bathing waters of the Fylde coast in the Irish Sea. At Blackburn WwTW, which provides treatment for a population equivalent (PE) of approximately 400,000, construction of the […]

Burnley WwTW Catchment Strategy (2022)

The Burnley Integrated Catchment Scheme is one of United Utilities largest AMP7 projects with a value of over £60m which commenced in 2020. The project is being delivered by Advance-plus, a joint venture between MWH Treatment, J Murphy & Sons and Stantec UK; United Utilities’ framework construction delivery partner (CDP). In UK Water Projects 2021 […]

Carlisle WwTW (2022)

Carlisle WwTW lies within United Utilities’ north Cumbria region. The site is located to the north-west of Carlisle’s city centre, on the banks of the River Eden, and serves the city of Carlisle. The treatment works receives domestic sewage, trade flows, and tankered imports, providing primary and secondary treatment prior to discharge to the River […]

Dean Clough Lower Impounding Reservoir (2022)

Dean Clough Lower Impounding Reservoir (IR) is a Category A, earth-fill embankment reservoir, located approximately 6km north-east of Blackburn in Lancashire. It is currently used to provide storage for public water supply. It was formed by the construction of an earth embankment across the Dean Brook river and is the lower reservoir in a cascade […]

Ellesmere Port WwTW: Essar Upgrade (2022)

The large industrial town of Ellesmere Port in Cheshire is experiencing population growth, thanks to good transport links and an array of employment opportunities. The local population is set to rise by a further 10% by 2036, to over 76,000, so upgrades to the Ellesmere Port Wastewater Treatment Works (WwTW) are necessary to cope with […]

Heaton Park Reservoir Liner Improvements (2022)

Heaton Park Reservoir is located within Heaton Park, approximately 5 miles north of Manchester city centre. The reservoir is over 90 years old and has the capacity of 2,800,000m3 at top water level. The reservoir was previously used to store treated water for the Manchester Ring Main from Haweswater and Thirlmere aqueducts. However, since the […]

High Frequency Risk Reduction: Moor Road (2022)

In the PR19 agreement, water companies were encouraged to provide resolution to long-standing flooding problems being experienced by customers – but allowed a less prescriptive approach on the actual projects defined in the Water Company’s Price Review submission. This new process allowed the water companies a degree of discretion on the number and frequency of […]

High Frequency Risk Reduction: Rock View (2022)

In the PR19 agreement, water companies were encouraged to provide resolution to long-standing flooding problems being experienced by customers – but allowed a less prescriptive approach on the actual projects defined in the Water Company’s Price Review submission. This new process allowed the water companies a degree of discretion on the number and frequency of […]

Horwich WwTW (2022)

Advance-plus, a joint venture between MWH Treatment, J Murphy & Sons and Stantec UK, are currently delivering a project at Horwich WwTW on behalf of United Utilities. The project is required to deliver the Environment Agency’s Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP) and takes into consideration future population growth based on a 2035 design horizon. […]

Southwaite WwTW (2022)

Southwaite is a small rural village in Cumbria about 5 kilometres south of Carlisle. The works treats a population of about 1,000 from the village and the nearby M6 Motorway Services. The existing trickling filter works had reached the end of its asset life and needed to be upgraded. In a first of its kind […]

United Utilities Filtration System Replacement (2022)

In May 2018 United Utilities appointed Mott MacDonald Bentley (MMB) to deliver an NEC Option A design and construct project for the upgrade of one of their water treatment works (WTW) in the northwest of England. The project scope comprised upgrade of several key treatment processes to ensure compliance with Badenoch and Bouchier performance recommendations […]

United Utilities Maintenance Service Provider Framework (2022)

As the UK’s largest listed water company, United Utilities aspires to ensure resilience of its network to the effects of climate change, improving the quality of wastewater effluent and providing a reliable and wholesome drinking water supply to its customers. To help drive greater efficiency and innovation in its network, United Utilities appointed Costain as […]

Blackburn and Darwen WwTWs (2021)

Blackburn WwTW was constructed in the 1960s and principally treats domestic crude sewage from the Blackburn catchment, with two major additional contributions; a high strength trade effluent from the InBev brewery and an ammonia rich return liquor flow from the sludge treatment plant. The key river water quality/water framework directive parameters within the revised environmental […]

Burnley WwTW Catchment Strategy (2021)

Burnley WwTW serves a domestic population equivalent (PE) of 107,115 plus trade load. The existing site processes include screening and grit removal, primary settlement, activated sludge plant (ASP) with final settlement, nitrifying filters, chemical dosing and storm storage tanks. The sludge treatment facilities include sludge thickening, THP, mesophilic anaerobic digestion (MAD), associated ancillaries and sludge […]

Carlisle WwTW (2021)

Carlisle WwTW is in north Cumbria, which is part of United Utilities’ northern area. The site is located to the north west of Carlisle’s city centre, on the banks of the River Eden, and serves the city of Carlisle. The treatment works receives domestic sewage, trade flows, and tankered imports, providing primary and secondary treatment […]

Haweswater Aqueduct, Hallbank Tunnel Replacement (2021)

The Haweswater Aqueduct (HA) was constructed by the Manchester Water Corporation between 1935 and 1955 to provide water from Haweswater Reservoir to Heaton Park Reservoir in Manchester. The aqueduct was initially designed to convey 105 million gallons per day to allow for future increase in demand and is constructed of 8’ 6” concrete lined tunnels […]

Hayfield & Barton WwTWs (2021)

In recent years, phosphorus discharge limits have been tightened to improve the surface water quality, particularly to address eutrophication issues. Before 2015, only a small number of sites in the UK had a total phosphorus (TP) permit as low as 1 mg/l under the Habitats Directive. Since then, TP permits have been continuously tightened in order to achieve […]

High Frequency Risk Reduction: Garstang Road (2021)

In the PR19 agreement, water companies were encouraged to provide resolution to long-standing flooding problems being experienced by customers – but allowed a less prescriptive approach on the actual projects defined in the Water Company’s (WCo’s) Price Review submission. This new process allowed WCo’s a degree of discretion on the number and frequency of flooding […]

Phosphorus Removal Enhancement Programme (2021)

The Phosphorus Removal Enhancement Programme (PREP) Batch is a group of projects within United Utilities. These projects provide improvements delivering the Environment Agency (EA) Water Industry National Environmental programme (WINEP) outputs for a future population growth based on a 2035 design horizon. With a focus on ensuring the lowest ‘whole life cost’ solution, the team […]

Service Reservoir Isolation Programme (2021)

In 2016, United Utilities was issued with a Service Reservoir Cleaning notice by the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) as part of the Company transformation programme. Inspecting, cleaning and maintaining the reservoirs first required a batch of projects to provide the facility to isolate five existing service reservoirs (SRs) from the water network, whilst maintaining supply […]

Westnewton WwTW (2021)

Westnewton is a small rural village situated in Allerdale, Cumbria, three and a half miles from the Solway coast at Allonby and eight miles west of the market town of Wigton in the North West of England. The wastewater treatment works (WwTWs) serves a population equivalent (PE) of less than 300. The catchment was previously […]

Blackburn and Darwen WwTWs (2020)

Blackburn WwTW, located at Samlesbury near Blackburn, serves a population equivalent (PE) of approximately 400,000 and discharges final and storm effluent to watercourses that are tributaries of the River Darwen, feeding into the River Ribble estuary and ultimately into the bathing waters of the Fylde coast in the Irish Sea. Over the last 12 months, […]

Ellesmere Port WwTW: Essar Upgrade (2020)

The large, industrial town of Ellesmere Port in Cheshire is experiencing population growth, thanks to excellent transport links and an array of employment opportunities. The local population is set to rise by a further 10% by 2036, to over 76,000, so upgrades to the Ellesmere Port WwTW are necessary to cope with increased throughput. The […]

Leased Lines Replacement Project (2020)

In April 2015, BT announced they would be withdrawing support of all their very low bandwidth (VLB) leased lines from a fixed deadline of the 31 March 2020. Leased lines are dedicated lines, used as connections to carry communications or electrical signals between two locations. They are often used in conjunction with telemetry outstations, with […]

LED UV Water Treatment (2020)

United Utilities’ (UU) vision is to be a leading north west service provider, and one of the best UK water and wastewater companies. It is a challenging vision, but one United Utilities are capable of achieving by focusing on three objectives to deliver the best service to customers, at the lowest sustainable cost and in […]

Morecambe WwTW Catchment Strategy: Part 3 (2020)

Operated by United Utilities, the Morecambe sewerage system collects at Schola Green Wastewater Pumping Station (WwPS) located in the west end of the town. From there, flows for treatment are pumped via a 6km long pipeline to Morecambe Wastewater Treatment Works (WwTW), which is situated to the south, near to the village of Middleton. Both […]

Oldham & Royton Integrated Strategy (ORIS) (2020)

United Utilities is the regional water company for the North West of England, delivering water and wastewater services to 7m people from Cheshire to the Scottish border. Oldham WwTW and Royton WwTW are two major wastewater treatment works located in Oldham, to the north east of Manchester. The Oldham and Royton Integrated Strategy (ORIS) project […]

Westnewton WwTW (2020)

Westnewton is a small village about three and a half miles from the Solway coast at Allonby and eight miles west of the market town of Wigton. The wastewater treatment works is situated on a hillside above the village and treats wastewater for 275 population equivalent (PE) from the village and the local area. The […]

Anchorsholme Long Sea Outfall (2019)

Anchorsholme Park is located on the coast 4 miles north of Blackpool Tower. The long sea outfall (LSO) project is the third of three phases contributing to improving bathing waters on the Fylde Coast. The objective of the overall scheme is to complete the AMP6 obligations on the Fylde Coast of the ‘moving towards three […]

Anchorsholme Outfall Pumping Station (2019)

Anchorsholme Park is located on the coast 4 miles north of Blackpool Tower. The outfall pumping station project is the second of three phases contributing to improving bathing waters on the Fylde coast. The objective of the overall scheme is to complete the AMP5 obligations on the Fylde Coast of the ‘moving towards three spills […]

Aubrey Street Reservoir (2019)

United Utilities has completed the refurbishment of Aubrey Street Reservoir, a 40Ml underground service reservoir located just outside Everton and serving Liverpool district. Treated water for the 41-year-old reservoir is pumped in from Huntington Water Treatment Works in Chester. The main driver for the project was water quality, which risked being compromised by heavy ingress […]

Blackburn and Darwen WwTWs (2019)

Both Blackburn WwTW and Darwen WwTW discharge final and storm effluent to watercourses that are tributaries of the River Darwen, feeding into the River Ribble and ultimately impacting on the bathing waters of the Fylde coast. Following on from the Blackburn and Darwen WwTWs (2017) article and Blackburn and Darwen WwTWs (2018) article, both published […]

Davyhulme WwTW Modernisation Project (2019)

Davyhulme Wastewater Treatment Works (WwTW) is United Utilities (UU) largest, serving over 1.3 million customers across Greater Manchester. Built in 1894, it has seen continuous development in wastewater treatment including the invention of the activated sludge process (ASP) by Ardern & Lockett in 1914. Incoming flows from the combined sewer network can reach 30m3/s, the […]

Kendal WwTW (2019)

Kendal WwTW is the main treatment facility for the area servicing a large residential and tourist catchment, with a population equivalent of 82,384. The works has an existing consent of 25 mg/l biological oxygen demand (BOD) 45mg/l suspended solids, 5 mg/l ammonia, and an annual average phosphorus permit of 1 mg/l, with a flow to […]

Medlock Quality Programme (2019)

Medlock Quality Programme is part of United Utilities AMP6 investment programme across the North West and is the third Nereda® Reactor Plant to be operated by United Utilities. The scheme can be split into two distinct areas: (i) the upgrade of Failsworth WwTW to meet the new discharge consent and reduce the volumes of spills […]

Morecambe WwTW Catchment Strategy: Part 2 (2019)

United Utilities’ Morecambe sewerage system collects at Schola Green Wastewater Pumping Station (WwPS) located in the west end of the town. From there, flows for treatment are pumped via a 6km long pipeline to Morecambe Wastewater Treatment Works (WwTW), which is situated to the south, near to the village of Middleton. Both sites have sea […]

Warland Impounding Reservoir (2019)

Warland Impounding Reservoir (IR) is situated on the western slope of Blake Moor, above Littleborough, Lancashire. The reservoir was originally constructed around 1857 by the Rochdale Canal Company to maintain water levels in the Rochdale canal, and was considered to be one of the largest dams in England at the time. It has a 1500m […]

Blackburn and Darwen WwTWs (2018)

Following on from the Blackburn and Darwen WwTWs (2017) article, the site at Samlesbury, Blackburn, has been prepared for the construction of the 72,000m3 structure which will house the innovative Nereda® aerobic granular biomass technology. The Nereda® system will treat crude sewage that has only received preliminary treatment and has been developed to treat the […]

Blackpool South Surface Water Strategy (2018)

The Blackpool South Surface Water Strategy is a £30m scheme aimed at improving bathing water quality along Blackpool’s golden mile. The project tackles the combined challenges of climate change, an aging Victorian sewer network, increasing urbanisation and a responsive catchment. The project’s objectives are the reduction in frequency and quality improvement of spills within the […]

Chorley WwTW (2018)

The town of Chorley, in Lancashire, is mainly residential and much of the surrounding land is dedicated to agriculture and heritage buildings. Chorley Wastewater Treatment Works (WwTW) is located close to a small number of residential houses with a shared access road. C2V+, a joint venture between CH2M (now Jacobs) and VolkerStevin, was awarded a […]

Dynamic Demand Project (2018)

United Utilities (UU) provides water and sewage services to around seven million people in the north-west of England. As energy is one of UU’s biggest costs the mantra is to use less, generate more and use the company’s assets in a smarter way. It was ‘getting smarter’ that led to pioneering Dynamic Demand. A few […]

Morecambe WwTW Catchment Strategy: Part 1 (2018)

The Morecambe sewerage system collects at Schola Green Wastewater Pumping Station (WwPS) located in the west end of the town. From there, flows for treatment are pumped via a 6km long pipeline to Morecambe Wastewater Treatment Works (WwTW), which is situated to the south, near to the village of Middleton. Both sites have outfall pipelines […]

Preston WwTW (2018)

Preston WwTW serves a population in excess of 250,000 and has six sub-catchments: Lytham, Fairhaven and Freckleton within the Fylde District to the west, Lea Gate and Watery Lane to the east within the Borough of Preston and Penwortham to the southwest within the South Ribble District. United Utilities (UU) has invested £20m during AMP6 […]

Royton WwTW (2018)

Oldham and Royton WwTWs, operated by United Utilities, are located approximately 4km apart, close to Manchester. The WwTWs were aging facilities, and in need of an upgrade for the river water quality to meet European standards, and to serve an increasing population of over 185,000. United Utilities considered various options to improve the wastewater treatment […]

Upper Chelburn Impounding Reservoir (2018)

Upper Chelburn Impounding Reservoir (IR), located near Rochdale on the east Lancashire moors, is owned and operated by United Utilities (UU), providing compensation water to the nearby Rochdale canal. The reservoir is impounded by northern and southern earth-fill embankments (Figure 1), with a resulting capacity of 236,000m3. The 16.5m high northern embankment was constructed between […]

Woodgate Hill Service Reservoir No. 2 (2018)

Woodgate Hill Service Reservoir No. 2 (SR2) was commissioned in 1963, providing a total capacity of 269Ml and a throughput that equates to 20% of the regional water demand. The reservoir was built in to the hillside with an excavation of around 380,000m3. With a footprint of 47,000m2, at the time of construction, Woodgate Hill […]

Allonby WwTW (2017)

Allonby Wastewater Treatment Works (WwTW) is located to the north of the coastal town of Allonby, Cumbria, serving a population equivalent of less than 1000 within a dominantly rural catchment area. The works provides treatment via a three stage process, including rotating biological contactors (RBCs) and ultraviolet dosing. Allonby WwTW is situated on the coast […]

Bickerstaffe Pumping Station (2017)

The Southport Demand Monitoring Zone (DMZ) comprises ten supply zones with a population of approximately 245,000 covering the majority of the areas of the District Councils of West Lancashire and Sefton. Southport DMZ suffers from a number of issues including (i) peak demand during the summer months (ii) population growth (iii) water management. To overcome […]

Blackburn and Darwen WwTWs (2017)

Blackburn and Darwen WwTWs are two of United Utilities’ major treatment works and are located near the former mill town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The Blackburn and Darwen WwTW Integrated Solution (BDIS) project combines new river water quality and bathing water drivers at these two works into a single integrated project. The integrated approach will give […]

Davyhulme WwTW Modernisation Project (2017)

Davyhulme WwTW is United Utilities’ largest wastewater treatment works, which serves over one million people in Greater Manchester; it has been undergoing a £200 million modernisation process, which started on site in 2015 and is now close to construction completion. The upgrade is required to ensure it complies with tighter discharge consents and the impact […]

Hesketh Bank WwTW (2017)

Hesketh Bank Wastewater Treatment Works (WwTW) serves a population of approximately 5,800. The catchment of this Lancashire village is mainly residential and much of the surrounding land is dedicated to agriculture. The treatment works is on the edge of the village and is situated close to the River Douglas, near its confluence with the Ribble […]

Malpas Service Reservoir (2017)

Service reservoirs play a key, if sometimes unsung, role in the supply of clean water within the UK. While most are far less visible and well known than the open reservoirs and other sources they serve, they balance supply and peak demand and ensure that customers’ taps never run dry. The refurbishment of one such […]

Oldham & Royton Integrated Strategy (ORIS) (2017)

United Utilities is the regional water company for the north west of England, delivering water and wastewater services to 7m people from Cheshire to the Scottish border. Oldham WwTW and Royton WwTW are two major treatment works located in Oldham, to the north east of Manchester. The Oldham and Royton Integrated Strategy (ORIS) project combines […]

Protecting Water Voles (2017)

The advance JV Southport DMZ project for United Utilities required the installation of 30km of new clean water main across the West Lancashire area. This installation required the crossing of no fewer than 15 watercourses, each of which had the potential for water voles (a species protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act) meaning further […]

Springs Impounding Reservoir (2017)

United Utilities (UU) is the statutory undertaker for 132 impounding reservoirs (IRs) retained by earth-fill embankment dams which fall under the requirements of the 1975 Reservoir Act. Before the era of ‘Pennine’ type clay core construction techniques, many impounding reservoirs that were constructed around the turn of the nineteenth century were substantially homogenous, comprising of […]

United Utilities CIP2 & P1 Trials (2017)

Under the Water Framework Directive (WFD) all water environments in the UK must meet ‘Good Chemical Status’ for a number of chemicals. The chemicals cover a range of over 70 substances (often referred to generically as priority substances) including metals, pharmaceuticals, combustion products and regular sanitary determinands (including phosphorus). The Environment Agency instigated a national […]

Anchorsholme Park Storage (2016)

Anchorsholme Park is located on the coast 4 miles north of Blackpool Tower. The storage project is the first of two phases contributing to improving bathing waters on the Fylde coast. The objective of the initial phase is to complete the AMP5 obligations on the Fylde Coast of the “moving towards three spills per bathing […]

Davyhulme Biomethane Utilisation Project (2016)

Davyhulme WwTW is the location for United Utilities’ sludge balanced asset programme (SBAP) facility. This centralised treatment hub for sludge processes all of the indigenous sludge from Davyhulme which serves over one million people along with sludge imports from other United Utilities WwTWs. The centralisation of sludge treatment at Davyhulme has taken place through a […]

Davyhulme WwTW Modernisation Project (2016)

Located in the North West of England, Davyhulme wastewater treatment works (WwTW) is United Utilities largest works, serving over 1 million customers across Greater Manchester. The works are currently facing several future challenges, namely (i) the tightening of the ammonia (NH3) permit limit from 3mg/l to 1mg/l to comply with the requirements of the Freshwater […]

Jackson’s Edge Service Reservoir - Compartment 1 (2016)

Jackson’s Edge Service Reservoir (SR) is a water supply scheme that will provide increased security to the network through the provision of a new 18Ml capacity, twin compartment SR on the site of the existing 103 year old SR. The £7.5m project has adopted a Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) approach, saving approximately £2m […]

Liverpool WwTW (2016)

United Utilities’ (UU) flagship sequencing batch reactor (SBR), constructed in the Wellington Dock heritage site is now complete and in successful operation. The £200mn Liverpool WwTW upgrade scheme has delivered a state-of-the-art works to improve the quality of the water in the River Mersey. The project was part of the £3.6 billion invested by United […]

Oswestry WTW (2016)

United Utilities’ Oswestry WTW is located near to the market town of Oswestry, Shropshire on the England/Wales border. The original works became operational in 1892, near the end of the Victorian era, in response to the growing need for wholesome clean drinking water to Liverpool. It is a large works which treats raw water from […]

SAL 172 Stormwater Storage: Part 2 (2016)

The SAL 0172 project formed part of a cluster of schemes in the Manchester area, as part of United Utilities £3.6 billion AMP5 investment programme across the North West. The project was completed by Galliford Try-Costain-Atkins Joint Venture, (GCA JV), as main contractor to United Utilities. Originally covered in the UK Water Projects 2014-2015 edition, […]

Southport Demand Monitoring Zone Strategy (2016)

Southport is a large seaside town that lies on the Irish Sea coast approximately 20 miles north of Liverpool. With a population over 100,000 Southport is the eleventh most populated settlement in the north-west of England. At the turn of the 19th century the area became popular with tourists due to the easy access from […]

Sunnyhurst & Earnsdale Impounding Reservoirs (2016)

Sunnyhurst and Earnsdale Impounding Reservoirs (IR) are situated 1.5km to the west of Darwen town centre in Lancashire and are owned and operated by United Utilities. Sunnyhurst IR is one of the raw water sources of Fishmoor WTW, which feeds Blackburn and the surrounding areas (population equivalent of 100,000 people). Earnsdale IR provides compensation water […]

Ash Lane Detention Tank (2015)

Modular construction of underground storm detention tank with associated CSO and pumping station - largest tank of its kind in the UK

Barrow in Furness WwTW Outfall (2015)

Designing and installing the next generation of submarine outfall pipelines in the North West

Carlisle WwTW (2015)

AMP 5 supply and demand upgrade

Fleetwood WwTW Stormwater Storage (2015)

In order to help reduce the spill frequency of untreated stormwater on the Fylde Coast in Lancashire, a new storage tank was required to provide an additional storage capacity of 15,000m3. The new tank was to be located at the existing Fleetwood WwTW and was completed within AMP5, delivered on programme and within budget. This […]

Harrowside Long Sea Outfall (2015)

Harrowside Outfall is the first element of the Blackpool South Strategy to further improve the bathing water quality along the Fylde Coast which involves increasing the capacity of the existing sewer network, surface water and maintenance works to the Lennox Gate Pumping Station. The existing Harrowside outfall, built in 1938, has reached the end of […]

Liverpool WwTW (2015)

Installation of CASS SBR plant for the secondary treatment process that will keep the River Mersey clean

Oldham & Royton Integrated Strategy (ORIS) (2015)

£80m project in the Oldham to improve the environment, future-proof wastewater treatment assets and optimise operation and maintenance

Barrow WwTW (2014)

New stormwater storage facility to improve bathing waters of Morecambe Bay

Blackburn UID Scheme (2014)

Detailed design and construction of extensive modification works to an existing CSO chamber

Blackburn WwTW UIDs (2014)

Works to modify the site and eliminate two unsatisfactory intermittent discharges

Clay Lane WTW (2014)

Retrofitting an innovative enhanced coagulation and membrane solution within a small footprint

Grane Valley Reservoirs (2014)

Future-proofing United Utilities reservoirs

Haweswater Aqueduct - Tunnels & Conduits Refurbishment (2014)

Open heart surgery on the UK’s largest treated water aqueduct

Huntington WTW (2014)

£35m upgrade to reduce risk arising from the bulk storage of liquid chlorine, liquid sulphur dioxide and fuel oil

Huyton WwTW (2014)

Modifications to improve the efficiency of the sludge treatment process systems in the Lancashire/Merseyside area

Liverpool WwTW - Outfall Extension (2014)

Designing and installing the next generation of submarine outfall pipelines in the North West

Liverpool WwTW (2014)

Construction nears completion with the project moving smoothly into fit out and commissioning phases

Mersey Valley Sludge Main River Irwell Crossing (2014)

Design and installation of a new sludge transfer main across the River Irwell

Phosphorus Removal AMP5 Programme (2014)

£16.5m programme at WwTWs across NW England aimed at reducing the release of phosphates in the environment

Preston 7 UIDs (2014)

Collaboration, innovation and success in the face of adversity

Royal Oak WTW - Southport DMZ Phase 1 (2014)

The construction of a new water treatment works to serve the town of Southport and surrounding areas

SAL 172 Stormwater Storage: Part 1 (2014)

4,500m3 tank to store storm sewage & prevent discharge into the local watercourse during periods of heavy rainfall

Vyrnwy Aqueduct Refurbishment (2014)

Relining of 50km of 39” cast iron main by die drawing

Walton-le-Dale WwTW (2014)

A major upgrade to an existing works, with a particularly complex construction & commissioning sequence

Bewsey Bridge SPS (2013)

£9.5m new build to replace an outdated last-in-line wastewater pumping station on a disused 1970s landfill site

Bloomfield Road (Blackpool) Tunnel Sleeving (2013)

An innovative solution to secure a key asset

Davyhulme WwTW (2013)

Biostyr® BAFF plant refurbishment

Dukinfield (Wharf Street) UIDs (2013)

United Utilities network scheme provides screening to storm flows to the River Tame in East Manchester

Ellesmere Port & Oldham CHP (2013)

Combined heat and power (CHP) installations and environmental permitting regulations (EPR) improvements

Heavily Modified Water Directive Assessments (2013)

Mitigation measure option appraisals to achieve good ecological potential for United Utilities water resource assets

High Lane Service Reservoir (2013)

AMP5 security of supply

Liverpool WwTW (2013)

United Utilities keeping the Mersey clean with the AMP5 upgrade project

Lostock WTW (2013)

Process optimisation by the addition of prefabricated stainless steel rapid gravity filters

Millom WwTW - Stormwater UV (2013)

New storm UV plant to disinfect stormwater prior to discharge into the Duddon Estuary

Preston 32 UIDs (2013)

Water quality improvement for the River Ribble and the Fylde coast

Rochdale AMP5 UIDs (2013)

Delivery of a catchment solution using integrated catchment modelling and an efficient all inclusive team approach

Runcorn WwTW (2013)

£6.4m AMP5 refurbishment of a 1960s WwTW in Cheshire

Whitehaven (Parton) Long Sea Outfall (2013)

Designing and installing the next generation of submarine outfall pipelines in the North West

Asset Optimisation Programme (2012)

Optimising United Utilities’ wastewater asset base with joint operational and engineering teams

Baystone Bank Impounding Reservoir Safety (2012)

The restoration of Whicham Beck provides ecological benefits, risk reduction and reduced OPEX costs

Liverpool WwTW (2012)

AMP5 main works upgrade sequencing batch reactor design and construction

Shap WwTW (2012)

New WwTW using a Membrane Biological Reactor improves River Eden Special Area of Conservation

Clapham, Austwick & Newby WwTW (2011)

United Utilities’ new wastewater treatment works in the Yorkshire Dales

Davyhulme WwTW (2011)

Delivering United Utilities’ sludge balanced asset programme

West East Link Main (2011)

The challenges met in delivering detailed design of the 55km pipeline

Ashton under Lyne WwTW (2010)

Collaborative team effort delivers all round success

Fleetwood WwTW (2010)

AMP4 supply and demand project

Hodder Service Reservoir (2010)

New service reservoir required to improve the security of supply

Leigh WwTW (2010)

VWS Hydrotech Discfilter tertiary treatment plant for United Utilities

Mersey Valley Process Centre - SHARON Plant (2010)

Advanced stable high rate ammonia removal over nitrite system

Seathwaite Tarn Reservoir (2010)

Repairs to a remote reservoir in Cumbria

Solway Cluster (Glasson) WwTW (2010)

Constructing a new WwTW scheme in a highly sensitive AONB requires environmental vigilance

West East Link Main (2010)

55km pipeline project to carry 100 million litres water daily

Workington WwTW (2010)

AMP4 modifications to the sludge treatment and disposal process

Barrow Flood Relief Scheme (2009)

DG5 Flood Relief Scheme protecting a town from within

Biddulph WwTW (2009)

Conversion of existing COUF filters to nitrifying sand filters to meet a stringent ammonia consent

Blackburn WwTW Scheme - Nabs Head Inlet & Smithfold Main Works (2009)

Major works at Nabs Head Inlet and Smithfold Main Works

Carlisle Flood Alleviation Project (2009)

Eliminate the foul flooding from the sewer network up to the 1:30 year design storm.

Kendal WwTW (2009)

Amp 4Q phosphate removal project

Mersey Valley Process Centre - Shell Green Extension (2009)

Digested sludge recovery centre

Piethorne WTW (2009)

Reducing the risk of cryptosporidium outbreaks at two WTWs

Princess Parkway, Rossendale and Wyre Estuary UIDs (2009)

Case study detailing the work at Princess Parkway, Rossendale and Wyre Estuary UIDs

Wigan WwTW (2009)

Quality (Q) scheme

Arnfield & Godley WTW (2008)

Water quality improvements scheme for United Utilities

Franklaw WTW (2008)

Pesticide removal by adsorption onto granular activated carbon

Poaka Beck WTW (2008)

Maximum output needed increase from 13Ml/d to 16 Ml/d

Protecting Assets from Flooding (2008)

Flood risk study of United Utilities water & wastewater assets

Thirlmere Aqueduct - Refurbishment (2008)

134km aqueduct supplying major city – refurbishment story continued

Windermere WwTW (2008)

Two drivers resolved by refurbishment project

Bromborough & Birkenhead WwTWs Odour Control (2007)

Odour control projects

CHP at United Utilities' WwTWs (2007)

Providing economic & environmental benefits

Ridgaling (Barley) WTW (2007)

Upland sources to be fully utilised if demands during a drought were to be met

Stockport WwTW (2007)

Early start project for UU’s Southern Area integrated alliance

Thirlmere Aqueduct - Inspection (2007)

Inspection & refurbishment as part of major programme

Wigan WwTW - Inlet Works (2007)

Innovative design solution for United Utilities

Lamoload WTW (2005)

Engineering award claim for upgrade in tranquil beauty spot

Prescot WTW (2005)

£9.1m scheme for increased output & reduced compliance risk

St Helens WwTW (2005)

£20m complex construction project improves effluent quality

Sutton Hall WTW (2005)

Water quality improvements, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire

UID Programme (2005)

AMP 3 year 5 UID programme

Warrington North STW (2005)

£4 million enhancement to ensure effluent compliance

Wilmslow WwTW (2005)

£2.6m UU scheme improves effluent quality standard

Braystones WwTW (2004)

‘Greenfield’ WwTW for United Utilities on west Cumbria coast

Croal UID (2004)

18 outputs each with own criteria integrated into sewer network

Cumwhinton WTW (2004)

Upgrading of treatment works serving Carlisle area

Fishmoor WTW (2004)

Alliance ‘design teamworking’ leads way to major savings

Hyndburn WwTW (2004)

£12m quality & maintenance improvements

Leigh WwTW (2004)

New BAFF plant benefits local environment

Southport WwTW (2004)

Meeting new “Safe Sludge Matrix’ requirements

Barton, Pilling & Ingleton WwTWs (2003)

Refurbishment of three United Utilities WwTWs – Joint Venture delivers £6m contracts against the clock

Chapel en le Frith WwTW (2003)

Tertiary stage ensures quality receiving waters for game fish

Cumbria & Ribble UV Projects (2003)

Part of United Utilities massive 2000-2005 investment

Franklaw WTW (2003)

Framework alliance provides value engineering solutions

Sutton Hall WTW (2003)

Safe, high quality drinking water for 483,900 customers

Sludge Pathogen Removal (2002)

15 multi-site projects in AMP3 programme

Watchgate WTW (2002)

Water quality improvements

Wigan WwTW (2002)

Amp3 improvements have two objectives