United Utilities has started work on replacing pipes damaged when bridges collapsed and river beds were swept away in last November’s floods in west Cumbria.

The first scheme in the £450,000 project is underway at Low Lorton, near Cockermouth, where pipes are being re-laid in rock under the ground, to protect them from future flooding events. The specialist directional drilling team will then start work on replacing pipes destroyed when bridges collapsed in Workington and Keswick.

Gareth Earnshaw, North Cumbria water asset manager, said that given the scale of the disaster the water network had stood up remarkably well. He commented:

“Since then we have been planning how best to replace these mains in such a way as to minimise the risk of this happening again.”

“A lot of work has taken place behind the scenes and we now have teams in place to drill right under the river beds where there is rock to help protect the pipes.”

The work at Low Lorton is expected to be complete by mid-May.  The remainder will follow by the end of the summer.