Our capital programme work extends across the water, electricity and gas networks throughout the UK. We recognise that building strong relationships within the communities which we serve is fundamental to the success of our capital programme. Our Corporate Responsibility Policy highlights our commitments to community engagement and the following examples outline how we are striving to meet these commitments within our capital programme activities.
Our construction sites provide a great opportunity for letting our customers know what we're doing and why we’re doing it. Some signage is mandatory, such as advanced road warning signs. However, we have taken it further and started to produce some bespoke signage, such as heras fencing banners and information boards. These clearly let customers know it is a United Utilities work area and are tailored to reflect the work we are doing and explain why we are on site.
A team of young, aspiring engineers from The Grammar School at Leeds won a prestigious Gold Award thanks to their inventive idea that will help solve an engineering problem for our gas business. Our participation in the Engineering Education Scheme, sponsored by Northern Gas Networks, enabled students to solve real life engineering problems whilst helping them to gain transferable practical skills within the industry. To help and coach them during the process, they teamed up with our Gas Maintenance Manager who asked the students to consider the problem of removing silt and debris found in pumped out trench water when excavating gas mains and which have to be removed before it can be discharged to sewer.
The students decided that a portable filtration system was the answer and, over a period of months, they designed and tested a prototype which can potentially give considerable savings to both the company and the environment. The prototype is portable and can be used anywhere, thus saving us the cost of hiring expensive machinery. It is also very environmentally friendly as it uses recycled materials and can be used over and over again.
As part of our Scottish joint venture, working for our clients Scottish Water, we’ve resolved 26 unsatisfactory intermittent discharges (UIDs) during 2008/09. At Helensburgh, a coastal town heavily dependant on tourism, a number of UID’s have been resolved and removed from the unsatisfactory register. One such example is at Lomond Street which has resulted in improved water quality in the receiving water course. 
In order to minimise disruption during the tourism season and also to residents, a phased approach to the project was adopted. The project has outperformed with the focus on strong lines of communication with the local community.
In our water business in the north west of England work has continued to replace old Victorian water mains and sewers throughout the region. In Knowsley on Merseyside a 4.4km stretch of a 44” cast-iron water main is being renewed following a series of bursts to the main which caused flooding to customers’ properties. Upon completion, the £7million scheme will reduce future risks of bursts, ensuring a more reliable water supply. Throughout, the project team adopted a philosophy of ‘tell the customer first’, to ensure the community were informed of any disruption.
The West East Link Pipeline is a £125 million project which will carry water right across the north west of England from Prescot Reservoir in Merseyside to Woodgate Hill reservoir in Bury. The 55km pipeline will be capable of carrying 100 million litres of water every day and is one of the biggest engineering projects we have undertaken.