Northern Ireland-based contractor Farrans has reached a deal for water contracts worth an estimated £100 million.

The firm has signed two contracts with Northumbrian Water Limited to deliver improvement works.

In County Durham and Tees Valley, Farrans will be improving the underground network of water pipes, constructing a new 24km, 800mm diameter pipeline between Lartington Water Treatment Works and Shildon via Whorley Hill. The pipeline will cross underneath the River Tees and Alwent Beck to a depth of 50 metres. Around 200,000 customers will benefit from this work.

In a second project, Farrans will design, supply and install a new Bores Treatment Stream at Barsham Water Treatment Works (WTW) in Suffolk, where the company operates as Essex & Suffolk Water, including an interstage pumping station, a contact tank for the existing river works flow, a storage reservoir (20 Ml working volume) and a high lift pumping station for the combined flows. The project aims to provide a process plant capable of treating the full licence of the main abstraction bores and the emergency chalk bore.

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Neil Barnes, Regional Director at Farrans Construction, said: "We are delighted to have signed contracts on two projects which will have an integral role in providing resilience in the water supply in England. Both projects utilise our in-house design capabilities and further cement our expertise in the water sector. We are currently on site with major water projects across the UK and Ireland with clients including Anglian Water, Affinity Water, Northern Ireland Water and Irish Water and we have an already established collaborative relationship and a successful history of delivery with Northumbrian Water.

"We are looking forward to growing our presence in the north of England having recently opened a new office in Leeds to support our work in this area."

John Murray, Northumbrian Water's Commercial Manager – Procurement, added: "We are delighted to have identified the right partner to help us deliver these important projects. Delivering clean, clear and great tasting tap water for our customers across the North East and East Anglia is at the heart of what we do at Northumbrian Water, so ensuring our infrastructure meets those demands now and for the future is a priority. Farrans have demonstrated they align with our vision and values and we look forward to working collaboratively to deliver these projects while also focusing on the social value benefits for the communities in which we will be working. Investing in new pipelines and bringing a new Bores Treatment Stream into operation helps ensure our network remains resilient and makes sure customers continue to receive the best from our essential services for decades to come."

Both projects are expected to be completed in 2025.