Cascade Infrastructure, led by Austrian contractor Strabag, has been signed to design build and finance United Utilities鈥� Haweswater Aqueduct Resilience Programme (HARP) update.
HARP has been described as one of the largest infrastructure projects ever seen in Britain.
The Haweswater aqueduct carries water from Cumbria to 2.5 million customers in Greater Manchester and Lancashire.聽 The original 110km pipeline was considered a major feat of engineering when it was originally built in the mid 1950s. It uses gravity to carry 570 million litres of water every day.
The estimated cost of its refurbishment is 拢3bn. The programme is the first in the water sector to be delivered through a direct procurement for customers. Cascade Infrastructure will cover the design, construction, maintenance and financing of the scheme.
Strabag Equitix Consortium had previously been named preferred contractor by United Utilities back in January.聽Equitix is handling the money side.
Construction is scheduled to start in 2026 and will see six tunnel sections replaced.
United Utilities chief executive Louise Beardmore said: "Today marks a significant step to ensure we have the right infrastructure to provide a resilient water supply to communities right across the region for decades to come and, at the same time, creating hundreds of great quality jobs and delivering on the commitments and promises we have set out."
Water minister Emma Hardy said: "We are rebuilding the water network from the ground up through one of the largest infrastructure projects ever seen in Britain. In a new era of partnership between government and industry, we are upgrading pipes, tackling sewage spills and safeguarding water security so communities can once again take pride in their rivers, lakes and seas. Investments in projects like the Haweswater Aqueduct will be essential in this effort to secure clean water for future generations."
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