More than £37m has been invested in five new water treatment works (WTWs) to help secure future supplies in Northumberland.
Northumbrian Water’s new works at Murton, near Berwick, as well as at Wooler, Byrness, Rochester and Otterburn will help secure clean drinking water availability for thousands of customers.
Work on all five sites has been completed within the last 18 months, with the WTWs at Murton and Wooler the most recent to see water going into supply, having replaced old treatment facilities at Berwick and Fowberry. These sites are part of the network that supplies more than 20,000 customers across the North of Northumberland.
Byrness, Rochester and Otterburn WTWs help ensure these rural communities continue to receive top quality drinking water. These new treatment works have replaced older plants, to ensure local supplies continue to be resilient and meet the highest standards.
Work to deliver these projects was carried out by Northumbrian Water’s partner, Mott MacDonald Bentley (MMB).
Kieran Ingram, Water Director at Northumbrian Water, said: “Ensuring our customers have clean, clear and great tasting water when they turn on the tap is vitally important, and these five sites represent a significant investment in ensuring resilient supplies for people living across Northumberland.
“With the changes we have been seeing in the weather and climate over the past few years, these are challenging times and our teams work around the clock to ensure the water keeps flowing for all of our customers – including those in some of our most remote areas. These new water treatment works will help us to achieve that, and I would like to thank the teams that have worked so hard to deliver these projects.
“However, with the summer and warmer weather upon us, it’s important to remember that water is a precious resource – not only for supplies to taps but also for our local environment . That’s why we would like to ask customers to be mindful that water is a precious, finite resource – and by using it wisely, we can help to ensure that our environment remains protected and that the water keeps flowing throughout the summer for everyone in our region.”
People can find simple tips for using water wisely, at home and in the garden, here.