Northumbrian Water is set to begin a £6 million programme of improvements to the Ouseburn and related local watercourses earlier than originally planned, with work now expected to get underway this autumn.

The project forms part of the water company's wider investment in improving the region's wastewater network and helping to protect local rivers and watercourses. The scheme will deliver upgrades designed to reduce the number of storm overflow spills into the Ouseburn, while improving the resilience of the sewer network during periods of heavy rainfall.

The first phase of work will take place at Killingworth Lake, where Northumbrian Water is working in partnership with North Tyneside Council to support wider efforts to address surface water flooding in the area. This is part of the wider storm overflow improvements that feed into the Ousebrurn.

The work is being carried out by the water company’s partner, Esh-Stantec and delivering the work in phases will allow teams to carry out the improvements in a planned and coordinated way, while keeping local communities informed as the project progresses.

The improvements will create additional capacity within the wastewater network and help better manage rainwater entering the system during storm events. This will help reduce pressure on the network, lower the frequency of storm overflow activations, and support improved water quality in the Ouseburn.

Stef Chester, Project Manager at Northumbrian Water, said:

"We're pleased to be bringing this important project forward and starting work earlier than anticipated. This £6 million investment will help improve the performance of the local sewer network, reducing the number of storm overflow spills into the Ouseburn and supporting healthier watercourses for the future.

"We're working closely with North Tyneside Council to carefully plan and deliver these improvements, while keeping disruption to local communities to a minimum. We would like to thank residents and businesses in advance for their patience and understanding while the work takes place."