United Utilities is holding a public event next week ahead of the start of a massive five year project in January next year aimed at improving bathing water quality on the Fylde Coast.
Sections of Anchorsholme Park will be closed for up to five years to allow engineers to carry out the work. The water company is seeking views from the local community before it starts the main phases of work on how the park should look once it is completed..
Steve Wong, project coordinator at United Utilities said:
“It’s clear that our work over the next few years is going to cause disruption within the park. With this in mind we want to share our plans with the community who use this park on a daily basis and to listen to any ideas they may have.”
Representatives from United Utilities, including the project team, Blackpool Council and environmental charity Groundwork will be in the park on Monday October 27 to enable the local community to view and comment on the plans..
United Utilities has invested over £200 million since 2010 along the Fylde Coast to improve the sewer network, with even more investment on the horizon. One of a number of factors which can impact bathing waters comes from untreated storm water running into the sea from the sewer network during heavy periods of rain. Stringent new bathing water laws from Europe coming into force next year mean the further investment by the water company is essential.
Sarah Jenner, Bathing Waters Manager from United Utilities said:
“We have invested heavily upgrading our wastewater network along the Fylde Coast, and we are continuing to roll out projects to clean-up bathing waters.”
Steve Wong, from United Utilities added:
“Whilst sewer improvements alone won’t solve the problem with bathing waters, we want to make sure we’re playing our part. We currently have two large projects planned to improve our network in Blackpool.”
The first location is just off the Blackpool Promenade at South Shore and the second location is further up the coastline near to Anchorsholme Park. The main bulk of work will take place within Anchorsholme Park, including the construction of a new underground storm water tank which will measure 30 metres in diameter and 30 metres deep.
It also includes new lengths of sewer to connect into existing tunnels, construction of a new storm water pumping station, installing a control unit and a new 4.5km outfall pipe out to sea.
The company is currently completing site investigation work a short distance out to sea. Using a18 metre high pontoon rig, data is being collected about the ground conditions of the sea bed at the two locations. The information is helping with the design of the two new outfall pipes which will form part of the new sewer network.
Once the site investigation work is completed United Utilities will then start work on phase 1 of the project – the firm is now in the final stages of its tendering process to select a contractor, with work due to get underway in January 2015. This phase of work is expected to be completed during 2015.
Work will then start on the larger phase 2 of the project which is expected to be completed during 2019 and will involve constructing a new storm water pumping station, screening chamber and control buildings, together with laying a new 4.5km outfall pipe out to sea.
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