United Utilities is continuing with its flood recovery work in the aftermath of storm Desmond.

United Utilities engineers and other specialist staff have been working long hours every day in response to the devastating floods in Cumbria and Lancashire, with efforts focused on maintaining drinking water supplies and wastewater services to homes and businesses across both counties.

Conditions have been extremely challenging with access to United Utilities sites, as well as customer premises, cut off by flood water or damaged roads.

 On Friday customers in Glenridding were facing problems with water supplies, with homes and businesses being advised to boil their tap water after United Utilities repaired a flood damaged water main. Samples are being taken and the advice to boil will be lifted as soon as supplies are confirmed as back to normal.

Days after the storm swept across Cumbria, water workers were finally able to assess the damage and begin salvage work at key wastewater treatment works in Kendal and Carlisle submerged by the floods. More than 10 feet of floodwater engulfed both Kendal and Carlisle treatment plants over the weekend of the storm.

A number of wastewater treatment sites have been affected by flooding, including wastewater treatment works at Carlisle, Kendal, Garstang and Lancaster.  Engineers are already working to get the works functioning as normal but the damage is expected to take weeks to put right.

The water company has deployed engineers from across the North West to help get operations back to normal. Simon Chadwick United Utilities Wastewater Director said:

“Customers won’t feel the impact. The sewers are running normally and we’re working as hard as we can to deal with the wastewater customers are sending to us.” “Its 24 hour work for our teams of engineers as we repair damaged assets to get things back to normal as soon as possible.”

United Utilities has also suspended water bills will be for customers who have been forced from their homes due to storm Desmond.

The company has said it will suspend all charges for those who have to move out of flood hit properties, until customers are able to move back in. Bill adjustments will also be made for customers who need to use more water than usual for the big clean-up. The support applies to households and businesses in flood affected areas.