Quality up your street

25/11/2005

Work, which will improve water quality to thousands of properties, is soon to begin in Northumberland.

Northumbrian Water is to upgrade 20 kilometres of water main in Shilbottle, Felton and Longframlington.  The work, which will begin on Monday 5 December 2005, will take up to 12 months to complete and also reduce the risk of leakage and safeguard the water supply for future generations.

Customers are invited to find out more about this improvement work at a customer information session on Thursday 1 December 2005 at Shilbottle Skills Centre, 28a Grange Road, Shilbottle from 2.00pm to 7.00pm.

Dave Ingle, project manager for the £1.5 million improvement scheme, said:  “This work will improve the water supply to 2000 properties.  Water is something we all take for granted, but rely so heavily upon.  To safeguard the water supply for the future we are continually upgrading the16,000 km of water main in our supply area, from Berwick down to North Yorkshire and across to the Pennines.

“Where possible we will use underground techniques to carry out the work in Shilbottle, Felton and Longframlington.  Small access holes, well spaced apart, will be dug instead - avoiding the need to dig long open trenches.”

While this work is carried out customers should be aware that bogus callers, people who claim to be from the ‘water board’ but who are only interested in stealing from vulnerable customers’ properties, operate in Northumbrian Water’s supply area. 

It is very unlikely that anyone from the water company will need to gain access into customers’ homes while the work is being carried out in Shilbottle, Longframlington and Felton.  If customers are in any doubt of a caller claiming to be from the water company, they should not let them into their home.  They should ring the company’s customer centre on 0845 717 1100 to confirm the caller’s identity.

Customers affected by this improvement work will be receiving an invitation to the customer information session and further information about the improvement work within the next few days.

For further information contact Cara Hall on 0191 301 6720.