United Utilities have begun digging in a historic area of Blackburn, sparking an interest in the town’s industrial heritage.

Due to the potential of finding something significant during the dig, experts form NP Archaeology will be on site during the excavation to spot potential artefacts.

The waste water company are currently in the process of upgrading the town’s sewer system, which will prevent sewage being discharged into the river Darwen at times of heavy rainfall. The work at Cob Wall is taking place in two phases over the next two years.

United Utilities will also be constructing an underground waste water storage tank to capture excess stormwater in a car park off Preston Old Road.

The United Utilities project manager on the job, Carly Atherton said:

“This project is all about creating a cleaner, greener future for Blackburn. Improving the quality of local rivers and coastal waters is vital for the environment, for tourism and for business. We will be doing everything we can to minimise disruption during the two new phases of work.

“The work in Cob Wall is especially interesting from an archaeological point of view, as this part of Blackburn was the site of many industrial revolution era textile mills. The archaeologists will be working shoulder to shoulder with our engineers, to make sure any significant artefacts are preserved.”

Thames Water has just launched a scheme which will help protect residents in Leytonstone from the chances of sewer flooding.

The scheme will be taking place for three months and will see sewers around High Road in Leytonstone increase in size. It is being completed by Thames Water drainage contractors.

Approximately 1km of sewerage will be replaced by the contractors which should stop sewer flooding, a problem which residents have complained about for a number of years.

The programme delivery manager for Thames Water, Mark Taylor, stated:

“Sewer flooding is a truly miserable experience and we are committed to doing everything we can to protect our customers by making the network fit for the future.

“We are sorry for any disruption caused but we ask customers to bear with us while we get this essential work done.”

The work will take place along roads including, Belton Road, Argyle Road, Borthwick Road, Hall Road, Downsell Road and Victoria Road.

The Waltham Forest Council cabinet member, Clyde Loakes stated:

“We have been working closely with Thames Water to ensure disruption is kept to a minimum and to make sure the Olympic 2012 street scene improvement works, particularly along the High Road, are not affected.”

Thames Water has just announced that a major project to increase the capacity of one of London’s major sewer works is now half-way to being completed.

The sewage works at Mogden has seen major refurbishments take place since August 2010 and when complete will be able to cope with an increased quantity of sewage. The upgrade at the site has long been overdue but the end result will see the sewage treated more efficiently and odour levels dramatically reduced. The increased quantity of sewage treated will reduce the chances of storm tanks becoming full at times of heavy rainfall and hence reduce the chances of a discharge into the River Thames.

The sewage works at Mogden are expected to coast in the region of £140m. The head of programme delivery at Thames Water, Nick Fawcett, stated:

“We have done the bulk of the construction work and we’d like to thank the neighbours for bearing with us.

“We’ve done everything we can to minimise disruption but the worst part is over, the foundations are in place and by spring this year half of the new works will be operating.

“We still have a 200-strong team working on the site but the focus of the activity is now shifting from civil engineering – such as building foundations and tanks, to mechanical engineering and electrical installation, which will help to get the tanks up and running.”

Manufacturers of personal hygiene products are being asked to make their labels easy to understand, so products don’t get flushed into the general sewage system.

Waste water company, United Utilities, is currently working with the UK Water Industry and the European Association of Manufacturers so a test protocol can be designed which will enable products to be labelled as sewer friendly. The products will of course have to pass rigorous tests to attain this accreditation.

There are currently many products in the market which are being labelled as safe to flush down the toilet, but are in fact causing countless problems at sewage treatment works. United Utilities run their ‘What Not to Flush’ campaign to try to educate the general public what can and what can’t be flushed down the toilet. But the misleading information currently found on product packaging is hampering their cause.

United Utilities regional wastewater network manager, Mike Wood, stated:

“It’s no wonder our customers are confused. We’re calling on manufacturers and retailers to ensure these products are labelled clearly and correctly, to avoid the mess, expense and environmental damage of sewer flooding.”

A waste water company has just released details of some of the random finds in its sewer network since the Christmas period. Yorkshire Water officials have been fishing unwanted Christmas gifts out of the sewer system since the beginning of the year, with cuddly toys, Lego, novelty socks and a Little Mix CD among the haul.

Items found at various treatment sites across the county also include a number of small Christmas trees, which have gathered ‘alternative’ decorations instead of the regular tinsel and baubles.

The campaigns advisor for Yorkshire Water, Matt Thompson, said in the Northern Echo:

“Just because you don’t want Little Mix’s CD, or those socks that Grandma lovingly knitted for you, doesn’t mean that we do.

“While we’re no longer surprised to see unwanted presents coming into our treatment works, it’s always disappointing.

“Our message is simple – anything other than human waste and loo roll has no business in our sewers and we would ask people to do the right thing and make sure they dispose of their rubbish in the correct way, rather than risk blocking our sewers and potentially flooding their own homes with sewage.”

Yorkshire Water is in the process of introducing fat-destroying bacteria into their sewer systems at over 180 sites, which they hope will break down the fat that clogs the county’s sewers.