£50m upgrade for Rochdale’s drainage system

Sewers beneath the streets of Rochdale are set for the biggest series of improvements since Victorian times.

United Utilities is planning a £50 million clean-up programme to upgrade the town's drainage system, bringing massive benefits for local watercourses.

Starting next spring the water company will be working at a number of different locations over a period of two years to improve the Rivers Roch, Beal and Spodden and the Whittle and Stanney Brooks.

United Utilities project manager, David Hargreaves, explained: "This is a huge investment for Rochdale that will bring real quality-of-life improvements for everyone who lives here. By cleaning up the local watercourses we could soon welcome back fish like salmon, not seen since before the Industrial Revolution."

Rochdale's drainage network was developed by Victorian engineers who came up with a system of "sewer overflow" pipes to act as a flood-prevention mechanism during heavy rain. These allowed the extra storm water to overflow into local watercourses, preventing highways and homes from flooding.

It was an effective flood solution, but the overflowing sewers can now lead to litter and pollution getting into our rivers and streams.

The clean-up scheme will involve building large underground storage tanks and new sieve-like screens at the overflow points to strain out any litter. This will mean overflows happen less frequently, and the water is cleaner before it enters the river.

Mr Hargreaves added: “This work will build on the amazing Victorian legacy we've inherited. Our predecessors did a great job of designing a drainage system that could carry away all the town's wastewater and rainwater, whatever the weather. But our watercourses have been paying the price, and we now need to tackle the pollution legacy.

"We're doing some site investigation work at various places around the town at the moment to help draw up the detailed engineering plans for the scheme.

"We'll be arranging public exhibitions before work starts next year and we'll keep everyone up to date as work progresses."

Rochdale's sewer improvement scheme forms part of United Utilities' £3.6 billion investment programme between 2010 and 2015, which will bring cleaner, more reliable tap water and a cleaner environment.