19 March 2010
United Utilities is due to embark on a
multi million pound clean-up programme across Blackburn with
Darwen.
Capita Symonds’ Blackburn office is providing
highways services on the scheme which involves a number of new
underground storage tanks and upgraded sewer pipes being installed
across the Borough.
The new storage tanks will also breathe new
life into two Lancashire rivers flowing through Blackburn - the
Blakewater and Darwen. Cleaning up the rivers will bring
significant environmental improvements to the Fylde Coast bathing
water while shellfish beds located within the Ribble Estuary will
also benefit as both rivers eventually makes their way out to
sea.
The huge water clean-up, which is scheduled to
start in the Infirmary Street area of Blackburn in May 2010 will
take up to five years to complete.
Councillor Alan Cottam, Executive Member for
Regeneration & Environment, Blackburn with Darwen Borough
Council said: “We are currently in the early planning stages for a
large majority of the schemes and will continue to work with the
Utility company on keeping the disruption to motorists to an
absolute minimum. “It’s not an ideal situation but the longer term
benefits the scheme provides to the wider community outweighs the
short term disruption. We will of course continue to monitor the
disruption on a daily basis.”
Carly Ratcliffe, project manager, Blackburn
with Darwen Borough Council, said: “We’ll literally bring the
hearts of both rivers back to life, transforming the quality of the
water that currently enters the rivers from the local sewer network
following heavy downpours of rain. When the scheme is finally
completed there will be 1000m3 of additional wastewater storage at
a number of newly installed underground tanks. In addition, the
installation of high tech filter screens will prevent grit and
other debris entering the water course, and a number of new outfall
pipes will also be built.
“Blackburn’s rivers will be revitalised and
improved for local anglers, they will be attractive to walk along,
they will create new habitats for wildlife and they will improve a
safe and cleaner environment for everyone to enjoy,” she adds.
During the last five years, United Utilities
has pumped millions of pounds into cleaning up Lancashire’s rivers
and as a result species were once thought to be in decline such as
salmon, eel and otters are returning.