United Utilities invests £10m to improve water quality in Chorley’s River Yarrow

The two-year project will see two new underground storage tanks created in the grassland area to the south Southlands High School in Chorley. Tank one will be 11.50m deep and 20m in diameter, while tank two will be slightly smaller at 10.5m deep and 20m in diameter.

Together they will have a combined capacity of more than 3.6 million litres of water – that’s almost the equivalent of one and a half Olympic sized swimming pools.

The additional storage will reduce storm overflows into the River Yarrow which flows into the River Ribble.

Simon Holding, Head of Wastewater Treatment Services for United Utilities in Lancashire explained: “These tanks act as huge holding areas for the extra rainwater that enters the sewer network during times of heavy rainfall.

“Holding it back means it isn’t all hitting the wastewater treatment works at the same time and the system is less likely to be overwhelmed.

“We know people living in the area might have questions about the works, so we encourage them to come along to a drop-in session to meet the team and find out more.”

The project will get underway in August. Across Lancashire, United Utilities continues to deliver a range of projects from infrastructure improvements to sustainable drainage, upgrades at its wastewater treatment works and riverside tree planting schemes, which are enhancing water quality in the River Ribble and its tributaries