The second phase of a £10m investment aimed at protecting the environment in a County Durham village is about to begin.
Northumbrian Water is leading the scheme in Pelton to reduce storm overflow discharges and improve water quality in Chester Burn, Cong Burn and watercourses downstream.
Work near Pelton Community Primary School, which involved installing new sewer pipes and underground stormwater storage, will be completed in July.
Christopher Bond, project manager at Northumbrian Water, said: "This is an important double investment in the local environment at Pelton, reducing spills and contributing to better water quality in the area.
"Completing the work near the school is a huge milestone and we're really looking forward to getting going with the work near The Wynd."
The upgrades increase the capacity of the sewage and rainwater network, lowering the risk of overflows during periods of heavy rain.
Similar improvements will now be made on land south of The Wynd, with work expected to run until the end of March 2027.
Both projects are being delivered by Northumbrian Water’s partner, Avove, and are designed to reduce spills from each of the two storm overflows to fewer than ten per year.
Storm overflows act as emergency outlets in combined sewer networks to prevent flooding of homes and businesses during heavy rainfall.
Mr Bond said the Pelton projects reflect wider environmental improvements across the region.
He said: "We're investing £1.7bn across five years to protect and enhance the environment, and reducing storm overflow spills is a big part of that.
"The progress we are making here at Pelton is a great local example of this, and we are grateful to the community here for their patience and understanding while we're carrying out this work."
Dean Wallace, senior project manager at Avove, said the two companies are working together well on the scheme.
He said: "Reaching this milestone is a significant step forward for the project and reflects the strong collaboration between Avove and Northumbrian Water.
Read more
Northumbrian Water to pay £550,000 over unauthorised sewage discharges in North East
Water company issues statement after 'do not swim' warning for Teesside coast
Three-kilometre pipe plan carrying treated effluent into River Wear moves ahead
"Together, we are delivering improvements that strengthen the local network and reduce the impact of storm overflows on nearby watercourses, particularly during periods of heavy rainfall.
"As we move into the next phase, we will continue working closely with Northumbrian Water, our partners and the local community to complete the remaining upgrades safely and efficiently."
Progress updates are available at www.communityhub.nwl.co.uk/pelton.
Share