An extensive multi-million-pound programme of work to improve the wastewater network in Annsborough and Castlewellan in County Down is set to begin on Monday, April 28, NI Water has announced.

The investment is a collaborative effort between NI Water and its project team from BSG and McAdam, and will see the installation of a new dedicated stormwater pipeline to remove rainwater from the combined system.

This will reduce the pressure on the existing network and help reduce the risk of out-of-sewer flooding. A series of localised sewer repairs, also planned as part of the scheme, will address leakage and help protect against blockages.

Speaking about the planned work, which will take around 12 months to complete overall, Sean Milligan, NI Water Senior Project Manager said: "NI Water carried out extensive investigations on the wastewater network in Annsborough and Castlewellan catchments last year. The findings from the surveys showed a number of misconnections to the combined wastewater network, resulting in a larger volume of rainwater entering the system than it is designed for. Our CCTV investigations also highlighted several areas where sewers need to be repaired to support everyday living and protect the environment.

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"The work will focus on the Annsborough catchment initially, with the first section of work due to get underway in Annsborough Park on Monday, April 28. A letter drop has been carried out in the area and access will be maintained throughout the 4-week phase of works.

"Towards the end of May, work will move to Ballylough Road. Installation of the new pipeline and any sewer repairs will be carried out under a lane closure with temporary traffic lights. The project team will carry out a letter drop in the area before work gets underway and large digital signage will be erected to notify motorists."

Following the completion of this stage of the work, the Castlewellan network improvements are then scheduled in the Clarmont Avenue area in July before moving to other areas of the town.