Giant underground water tanks created for Richmond (From Darlington and Stockton Times)
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Giant underground water tanks created for Richmond
1:02pm Monday 4th March 2013 in News
By Mark Foster
Waterproof membrane is added to the roof of one of the storage tanks.
WATER bosses are promising better quality of supplies with the creation of two giant underground stores.
The two reservoirs, off Hurgill Road, Richmond, have been built by Yorkshire Water at a cost of £2m.
Between them, they can hold some2.3m litres of treated drinking water - equivalent to an Olympic-sized swimming pool.
They replace three ageing underground tanks which have served the town and its surrounding areas for more than 100 years, which will now be decommissioned.
The company claims the stores are among the biggest underground tanks they have ever created, as well as some of the greenest and sustainable – right down to the kerbs made from recycled to plastic bottles.
Project manager Dave Ellis said: “As part of our commitment to provide the best quality drinking water we can we’ve created these new drinking water reservoirs which will serve Richmond and the surrounding areas for decades to come."
“Not everyone realises that Yorkshire’s water is taken from a mix of underground stores, reservoirs and river water.
“We need to ensure that we have not only enough capacity but the right equipment to ensure that the water quality remains good.”
Around 6,000 tonnes of rubble have been crushed onsite during the 18 month projects - saving around 600 lorry journeys through the town. The material was reused in the landscaping around the new reservoirs instead of bringing in materials.
The new reservoirs are predominantly underground so as to be secure and to reduce their visual impact on the surrounding landscape.
The new tanks will prevent the potential for harmless debris getting into the water supply, and will be more efficient to maintain.
Spokesman Matt Thompson said: “Drinking water is our number one priority, and we know there will be no issues in keeping it top quality with the new tanks.
“The tanks will be filled up in the next month and then will be serving the residents of Richmond and surrounding areas with the water going straight to their taps.”
The old reservoirs will be decommissioned or demolished.
