Our teams have been providing leading water solutions for over 20 years to ensure sustainable, resilient, and future proofed developments. One current project, delivered in support of our client United Utilities is on the Vyrnwy Aqueduct Modernisation Programme from Tarporley to Norton.
Project background
The Vyrnwy Aqueduct runs from Lake Vyrnwy through to Merseyside and was first installed in 1892 to help deliver clean drinking water to customers and communities across Cheshire, Merseyside and the wider North West region. The aqueduct system comprises three parallel pipelines, referred to as Lines 1, 2 and 3. Each line is 42 inches (over 1 metre) in diameter, and it has a combined distance of 110km in length.
OCU were awarded a contract by United Utilities to undertake modernisation works on all three pipelines as part of the modernisation between Tarporley and Norton Tower and extending to the River Mersey. Works are being undertaken in phases between 2022 and 2028.
Our early engagement in the planning stages has resulted in significant savings due to our value engineering solutions, with innovations such as soil stabilisation and industry leading internal pipe repairs.
The three parallel pipelines are being updated in phases to ensure the water supply is maintained to the local communities. We are cleaning and updating line 3, which is of more up to date construction. With the older lines 1 and 2, we are sliplining the older pipes with new modern plastic pipes, fed into the existing iron pipeline.
In addition, community liaison is a key part of this project to ensure the minimum possible disruption from the required works, and to provide support to the communities we are working in.
Significant investment
OCU continue to make significant investment in world leading technology to minimise customer and public disruption, as well as to lower the carbon footprint of our projects by reducing the number of excavations needed.
Our most recent investment has been in our new 200-ton pipe pusher to increase slip lining sections to up to 1700m (or over a mile) at a time, supporting efficient delivery on site. The pusher recently completed its first 1500m continuous 900 HDPE pipe insertion on the Vyrnwy project.
This is the first pipe pusher of its size in use in the UK with 200 tons of axial force, cylinders and carriages for adjustment of the pipeline diameter, powerful clamping cylinders, and 4,000 PSI hydraulic pressure.
All operations are controlled from the specialist control cabin so there is no plant and person interface during pipe install, improving safety and reducing both plant and people required on site.
The team has named the unit George after George Deacon, the engineer who originally designed the Vyrnwy pipeline.
This article featured in The Water Industry Journal
