DISTRICT councils are battling with United Utilities over plans to strip them of responsibility for the area's sewerage system.

Local authorities have been paid by the utilities giant to provide sewerage management and maintenance since 1974.

A campaign by Ribble Valley, Hyndburn, Burnley and Pendle Councils to stave off plans by United Utilities to take sewerage services out of the public sector was launched in 2001.

Current Sewerage Management Services Agreements run out in 2004 and in 2001 United Utilities asked district councils across the North West to consider terminating them early.

United Utilities claims centralising the work will be more efficient, but district councils claim they will lose important revenue and customers will lose a face-to-face service.

Ribble Valley Council stands to lose £116,317 from the loss of sewerage management, £7,217 of which is profit, and up to three jobs in its Engineering Department will be jeopardised.

Now the council is to step up its bid the get United Utilities bosses to change their minds about ditching the agreements.

The council's chief engineer, Graham Jagger, said: "During the past year, as authorities beyond East Lancashire have terminated their agreements early, United Utilities has introduced different ways of working and developed a branded approach to service delivery.

"Public contact is now through a centralised call centre and district councils will have to find a way to link in if they are to continue providing the service.

"These changes are making it increasingly difficult for us to develop proposals and a sound business case for retaining the service.

"We have asked United Utilities to continue the agreements beyond next year, until it becomes clear what the new operational procedures will be and whether or not we will be able to accommodate them, but we are still awaiting a reply."

David Brown, Burnley Council's director of development and environmental control, said he would be supporting the campaign.

"We still believe this service is best delivered by local councils, who are closer to the needs of the town and its residents," he said.

John Schofield, head of transportation and technical services at Hyndburn Council, said: "The council's view is that the service can best be provided by local authority staff and integrated with other local services.

"If the current arrangements do not continue, there will not be any job losses, as staff currently providing the service and employed by the council will transfer to United Utilities."

United Utilities spokesman John Carberry said: "We have agreements with 42 councils in the North West, which means we are dealing with 42 different management teams. This isn't the best operation from our point of view. Some councils, including the four in East Lancashire, don't want the agreements to end and we have held discussions to see if they can come up with a better idea."