Tip top tap treatment

20/12/2006

Millions of pounds are being invested to improve the quality of County Durham’s tap water.

Northumbrian Water is investing £4.5 million to upgrade Honey Hill water treatment works which is near Castleside, Consett.

The work, which will be complete by April 2008, involves upgrading the different stages of water treatment at the works which supplies 40 million litres of water every day to 176,000 customers.

It takes around six hours for a cup of water to go through the four stages of water treatment and then tip top tap water is supplied to homes and businesses in the Consett, Lanchester, Stanley and Chester-le-Street areas.

The processes which will be upgraded at the water treatment works include the abstraction, clarification, filtration and disinfection stages.  Another treatment facility will also be installed to further protect the water supply against potential pollution events.

Project manager for the multi-million-pound improvement scheme, Paul Wood, said: “This improvement work at Honey Hill water treatment works, which was built in 1966, is part of Northumbrian Water’s £100 million five-year (2005-2010) investment programme to improve water resources and treatment.  This work will ensure that our customers in this area of County Durham, and future generations, continue to receive among the best tap water in the country.”