£2 million dam maintenance work at Anglezarke reservoir is extended

Maintenance work at one of Anglezarke Reservoir’s historic dams is set to continue until the end of the year.

The £2m engineering works at Heapey Dam are essential to ensure the ongoing safety of the dam which was first constructed in 1857. The project involves excavating a pipe buried beneath the dam.

Anglezarke Reservoir has three dams. At 10m high and 85m long, Heapey Dam provides the embankment at the northern end of the reservoir and requires regular maintenance.

Iain Pilling, United Utilities’ Area Engagement Lead for Lancashire explained: “All our reservoirs and dams undergo regular safety checks and maintenance to ensure their ongoing reliability. In the case of Heapey Dam, we identified some maintenance work within the dam wall.

“Part of this involved excavating and isolating an old pipe. When the excavation work got underway earlier this year, this was located much deeper underground than expected and as a result the project is going to take longer to complete.”

The project is now expected to be complete in December 2025.  Moor Road will remain closed to vehicles, walkers and cyclists with a signed diversion in place via the southern end of the reservoir.

Iain Pilling added: “We understand roadworks are frustrating and we are sorry that this essential work is taking longer to complete than was first expected. We will continue to work closely with the local community to minimise the disruption.