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New for old…we’re replacing miles of water pipes

Reservoirs, aqueducts, treatment works and a network of over 42,000 kilometres (around 26,000 miles) of water pipes help us to provide water to homes and businesses right across the North West region.

We work around the clock to make sure that you have high quality water for your morning shower or to enjoy a great brew, but we know that in some areas of our region the older water pipes are more prone to bursts, or sediments that settle at the bottom can sometimes cause your water to become discoloured.

We’re carrying out a huge programme of work to refresh, clean or replace over 6113 kilometres (around 3799 miles) of water pipes – so you have a reliable, safe and clean water supply - right to your tap.

We do understand that this type of work can be disruptive, and that’s why our teams will do all they can to minimise any inconvenience as we upgrade the old pipes for nice new modern ones.

We would love to hear from you

We're aware when things don't go so well and we'll always try to resolve any issues as quickly as possible.  The thing is, we don't always get to find out when our team have really made a difference to keep you updated or helped you while we're installing the new pipes. The WOW! Awards are the only national customer service awards based purely on nominations. We're always trying to improve the service we give to our customers and it would be great if you could help us recognise this with our teams. It won't take long, so if you have a few moments, follow this link to the WOW! Awards and we'll make sure your comments are passed through to the team.

We're currently replacing water pipes in Bury, Oldham and Rochdale. You can find out more information about our pipe replacement work in these areas from the drop-down tabs below or check out details about our pipe cleaning programme here.

Don’t worry, with all our programmes of work we’ll make sure we keep you updated before the work takes place, so you know how this may affect you. 

  • We’ll work in phases and the method we use to install the new pipes is dependent on a variety of different factors which will involve one of the two methods below.

    • Inserting a new durable pipe inside the existing cast iron water main (known as sliplining) means we won’t need to dig as many holes. The team will dig down at specific locations and feed the new pipe inside,  before connecting the new sections together.
    • Removing sections of the existing cast iron water main and replacing with a completely new pipe. This method will be a little more disruptive as it requires a continuous trench to be dug.

    The type of equipment and machinery we need to use will create noise and vibrations, so we really do appreciate your patience. We'll also need to create some temporary areas to accommodate equipment, materials and the welfare facilities for our team.

  • When we’re replacing the pipes in your road, we will need to turn off your water for a short period (normally a few hours) and this may be required on several occasions as we're replacing the pipes in sections.

    We know this will be inconvenient and will make sure it’s off for as little time as possible - and not before you’ve had time to have a shower or get your families breakfast sorted before everyone heads off to work or school. Don’t worry, we’ll let you know the date and times in advance, usually by letter or a notification card. 

    When our teams are ready to connect your home or business to the new pipe there will be a much shorter period, just normally for around 10 minutes or so and someone from our site team will let you know when they are ready to complete the connection work. 

    Once we’re all done, you may notice your tap water may be a little discoloured. This would be temporary, it’s nothing to worry about will quickly return to normal. We’re really sorry if you experience this, it’s important that you take simple steps to help resolve and we have a guide to help clear discoloured water. 

  • Roadworks…we know they’re a pain, but the old water pipes are often located in the road, so we’ll need to put some temporary traffic management in place while we’re working to keep you and our team safe.  

    This may just involve traffic lights and lane closures however, in some instances it may require temporary road closures to be in place.  As long as it’s safe, we’ll do all we can to maintain access to your home or business, but if you normally park on the road, we may need you to temporarily move your car – just so our team can install the new pipes as quickly as possible.

  • Thanks for your patience and cooperation, our site team will be happy to help answer your queries. You can also contact us via our social media channels or call us on 0345 672 3723 and we’ll be happy to help. If you do need to get in touch, please provide the project number which will help our customer advisor route your query to the correct team. 

  • As communities grow, we’re making sure our network is strong and resilient to meet changes and support development with increases in population.

    We're planning projects that may involve making improvements at our treatment work sites or installing new water or sewer pipes. We're currently working in several areas across the North West - find out more about our work.

    Thanks for bearing with us and we will provide as much notice as possible to those affected areas.