Water workers welcome Harry to site
Workers at a United Utilities project to upgrade the sewer system in Ramsbottom pulled out all the stops to make a dream come true for two-year-old Harry Stubbs.
Harry has been taking a keen interest in the work being carried out in Nuttall woods, to upgrade Ramsbottom’s sewer network and he is fascinated with the ‘big diggers’ he sees on site.
And when kind-hearted site engineers discovered this, they arranged a special visit for Harry and his mum Lois.
Harry was given his own set of personal protective equipment including a hat hard and high visibility vest and a VIP site tour.
Robert Taylor from the team delivering the work for United Utilities explained: “We found out that Harry enjoys watching what is happening on site and is a big fan of the diggers, so we thought it would be a special treat to arrange a visit so he could see the diggers up close – and even give him the opportunity to climb aboard.
“The team also clubbed together to buy Harry his own toy digger, so he had something to remember the day by.”
Harry’s mum Lois added: “It was the best day and I can’t thank the team enough, he hasn’t stopped talking about it ever since and he loves wearing his high vis jacket and showing off his toy digger.”
Harvey Bebbington Project Manager from United Utilities added: “It was incredibly kind of the site team to give Harry a VIP tour of the site. We’re always keen to encourage young people into STEM careers – Harry might be young but who knows, we might see him as a United Utilities apprentice one of these days!”
The project in Nuttall woods will see the construction of an underground storm water storage tank which will be capable of holding up to 3.5 million litres of water – that’s equivalent to 44,000 bathtubs. When complete in 2026, it will play an important role in improving water quality in the nearby River Irwell by reducing the need for sewers to overflow in times of heavy rain.
Harvey added: “The tank will act as a ‘holding area’ for the extra rainwater that enters the sewer network during times of heavy rainfall. Holding it back means it isn’t all hitting our wastewater treatment works at the same time and the system is less likely to be overwhelmed.”