£1.25m improvement scheme planned for Hollingworth Lake

Hollingworth Lake.

Visitors to Hollingworth Lake, will soon see a £1.25 million improvement scheme taking shape.

United Utilities need to carry out safety improvement work on the 200-year-old reservoir, to make sure the water levels can be drawn down quickly in the event of heavy rainfall or in an emergency situation.

Throughout the project Hollingworth Lake will remain open for business, and the work will ensure future generations of visitors can continue to enjoy the amenity.

A public exhibition is planned at the Hollingworth visitor centre in the next few weeks with details about the proposed engineering works, which are expected to begin this autumn. Work is likely to take around four months to complete.

United Utilities project coordinator, Matthew Upton, said: "The safety improvement work planned for Hollingworth Lake is essential and, while we know any kind of disruption is unwelcome, we have made sure that we will maintain access for the public."

The water level in the lake has been dropped to 2.5 metres below the top level in preparation for the work to begin. The water company has already been in discussions with the lake users and the Friends of Hollingworth Lake to make sure the sailing and other watersports activities can continue while the water levels are lower.

Mr Upton, added: "We hope that people will bear with us while we carry out this essential work, which will help to ensure that the lake remains a beauty spot to be enjoyed by people for many more years to come. We’ll keep people up to date as work progresses later this year.”

Hollingworth Lake has never been part of the drinking water supply network. It was built in 1800 by the Rochdale Canal company to maintain water levels in the canal and that is still the main purpose of the lake. Under the Reservoirs Act, United Utilities has a responsibility to maintain the lake in a good state.

All 193 reservoirs that are owned and operated by United Utilities are inspected on a regular basis – some every day. Once every ten years, a statutory inspection is carried out by an independent expert and it was such an inspection that identified the need for the work at Hollingworth Lake.

The project is part of United Utilities’ £3.6 billion investment in water quality and environmental improvement programme between 2010 and 2015.