Water firm leaves lasting legacy for Cumbrian community after completing big pipe project

United Utilities engineers have created a new school woodland area and rescued a waterlogged local park as a big thank you to residents in Dearham, Maryport for their patience while it completed construction of a new sewer pipe in the area.

United Utilities construction project manager, Rachael Goodson, explained: “We wanted to show our thanks to the local community for its patience while we carried out these necessary improvements to our assets in their area and to leave a lasting legacy in the village after our work has been completed.”

As part of its improvement project at Dearham, United Utilities has replaced, and in some areas installed, new sections of sewer pipe in Craika Road, Maryport Road, Central Road, Pottery Lane, Greenlands Road, Browside Road, Main Street, The Went, Church Street, St Mungo’s Close and Wilsons Farm Close.

It also installed new sections of sewer pipe through land at Wilsons Farm, crossing under Row Beck to the treatment works and within the fields at Harker Marsh.

The company also extended the wastewater treatment works site, to enable construction of a new underground storm water holding tank. Work was completed at the end of August 2021.

The new recreational area at Dearham Primary School was based on a design by pupil Daisy Smith in Year 6. The new woodland space boasts a seating area made from logs, raised garden planters, a fire pit, wood chipping path ways, trees, a vegetable patch and a storage shed.

It was funded by United Utilities in collaboration with its contractors C2V+. Tree saplings were supplied and planted by Lowther Forestry, with stone for the base of the Greenlands Road play area supplied by Harrisons and gravel by Waitings.

The water firm also teamed up with a local farmer with land next to the school, to decorate all of his hay bales with new purple wrap and emoji faces. A donation to the Well Child Charity is made for each wrap bought.

The engineers also helped improve a water-logged play park on Greenlands Road, Dearham which is close to Dearham Primary School.

Chris Robinson, works manager at Volkerstevin, who oversaw the project, said: “We dug out ground, laid rocks and then relayed rubber material in play area.

“Our assistance came about when a local councillor contacted us for advice on how to tackle the water logged surface in the park.

“We offered to sort it out for them at a fraction of the cost they would have ordinarily paid as another goodwill gesture to the community which has been disrupted by our work in the area.

“It has been a pleasure to be able to leave something for the village to enjoy as a token of our appreciation for their understanding whilst we carried out our work on behalf of United Utilities,” he added.