United Utilities is pressing ahead with its major programme to modernise the region's water infrastructure, with four new projects now underway across Stockport, Didsbury and Ashton in Makerfield.

The £3 million investment will see over 11 kilometres of ageing water mains replaced, reducing leaks and bursts while improving the long-term reliability of water supplies for thousands of homes.

These works form part of United Utilities' £380 million, five-year initiative to upgrade 925 kilometres of mains across the North West — including more than 200 kilometres in Greater Manchester alone.

In Heald Green, 3.5km of mains will be replaced over the next four months, mainly around Outwood Road and Cross Street. In Heaton Mersey, a three-month project will upgrade 2.8km of mains between Didsbury Road and Craig Road using “slip-lining” — a trenchless technique where new pipes are inserted into existing ones to minimise disruption.

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Meanwhile, in Didsbury, more than 1km of mains are being upgraded in residential areas between Fog Lane and Wilmslow Road, with work expected to take five weeks. In Ashton in Makerfield, over 3.8km of new mains are being installed in residential streets near Wigan Road in a three-month project.

The new high-performance mains are designed to withstand increased pressure and temperature variations, significantly reducing the risk of bursts and leaks.

Liam Garvey from United Utilities' water services team in Greater Manchester said: "The improvements we are delivering in Stockport is part of the work we are carrying out across Greater Manchester to replace old water mains with new pipes that are much stronger and more resilient.

"The new mains are designed to withstand greater fluctuations in temperature and higher pressures. They are expected to last more than 100 years and will play an important role in making our water network more robust and help us deliver a reliable water supply to customers for decades to come."