Flushing carried out on city’s pipelines to improve water quality
Engineers have begun cleaning Carlisle water mains pipes in the UK.
United Utilities will be carrying out the work in Kingmoor to improve the quality and reliability of its tap water.
The task involves the flushing of around 400 km of small water pipes serving around 33,000 homes and business.
United Utilities’ third party co-ordinator, Paul Wheadon, said: “The city’s water mains network is a buried gem of engineering but over the decades tiny bits of naturally occurring metals and minerals have built up at the bottom of the pipes. “Normally, they’re settled but sometimes they can get disturbed and mix with the water, making it look brown. It’s not very pleasant and this project will stop it happening."
Around 30km of the city’s largest and oldest water trunk mains have already been upgraded.
Now all that remains is the smaller pipes running beneath most of the city’s smaller streets and byways. The work should be completed by about the end of the year.
Work will take place in small phases and will mostly involve repeatedly emptying and re-filling a section of pipe under pressure, a process called "flushing”, until the water runs completely clear.
Tankers may be used to maintain water supplies during the process, but will be parked away from homes wherever possible.
United Utilities will be carrying out the work in Kingmoor to improve the quality and reliability of its tap water.
The task involves the flushing of around 400 km of small water pipes serving around 33,000 homes and business.
United Utilities’ third party co-ordinator, Paul Wheadon, said: “The city’s water mains network is a buried gem of engineering but over the decades tiny bits of naturally occurring metals and minerals have built up at the bottom of the pipes. “Normally, they’re settled but sometimes they can get disturbed and mix with the water, making it look brown. It’s not very pleasant and this project will stop it happening."
Around 30km of the city’s largest and oldest water trunk mains have already been upgraded.
Now all that remains is the smaller pipes running beneath most of the city’s smaller streets and byways. The work should be completed by about the end of the year.
Work will take place in small phases and will mostly involve repeatedly emptying and re-filling a section of pipe under pressure, a process called "flushing”, until the water runs completely clear.
Tankers may be used to maintain water supplies during the process, but will be parked away from homes wherever possible.
