A MULTI-MILLION pound waterworks improvement scheme which will benefit 50,000 residents has been completed.

The £4.8m project at Holden Wood and Ogden reservoirs, in Haslingden, included work on the largest spillway - which helps water pass over an embankment at a steady rate - in the UK.

The improvements, which were commissioned by United Utilities, has seen more than 1,300 1.3 tonne wedge blocks installed since July 2012.

More than 6,000 cubic metres of concrete was also poured into the reservoirs, off Grane Road, to bolster flood defences.

The work, carried out by Bamber Bridge firm Eric Wright Civil Engineering, gained attention from the British Dam Society and attracted four times the usual number of inspectors due to its specialised nature.

Adrian Taylor, director at Eric Wright Civil Engineering, said: “We have completed more than 20 large reservoir projects, so our previous expertise proved to be extremely valuable in planning and delivering the work at Grane Valley.

“By working closely with community groups, such as the Haslingden and Grane Fishing Club, we were able to ensure that our works resulted in minimal disruption, even through some very tough winter weather conditions.

“This work, which saw us pour more than 6,000m³ of concrete, will protect the local area from the threat of flooding and we are delighted to have delivered such a landmark project in our home county of Lancashire.”

The embankments at Holden Wood, constructed in 1841 and Ogden, built between 1905 and 1910, required a number of service diversions in order to maintain the supply of utilities to the surrounding area.

Jonathan Clarke, project manager at United Utilities, said: “The skill, professionalism and commitment of all those involved in delivering this multi-million pound project successfully was outstanding.”