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Improving water quality for Manchester
In April 2008 we started work on cleaning and repairing some of the main water pipes that supply customers in parts of Greater Manchester. We will be working on the Manchester Ring Main, a large water pipeline that circles the outskirts of the city. The pipeline supplies up to 560 million litres of water a day to over two million people in Manchester.
Since the pipes were first installed up to 130 years ago, deposits of iron and manganese which occur naturally in raw water from our upland reservoirs have built up on the inside of the pipes. Although not harmful to health these deposits can result in discolouration of our drinking water.
It is because of these deposits that we need to carry out work to clean the insides of the Manchester Ring Main. The work is due to be complete by spring 2013.
This project is part of a major cleaning and maintenance programme that we are carrying out across the North West. For more information a leaflet is available to download.