Work is getting under way on a £2.5m scheme to secure water supplies for the village of Edmundbyers in County Durham.

Northumbrian Water, working with partner United Infrastructure, will replace 9km of ageing water mains in the Edmundbyers area, near Consett. The programme follows an earlier phase that renewed 6km of mains, with the team now returning for around 10 months to upgrade the stretch between Edmundbyers and Blanchland.

To reduce disruption, the project will use tunnelling methods that speed up progress and limit the time crews need to be working outside people’s homes.

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For safety, traffic management will be in place, including an initial road closure and a short, signposted diversion during the early stages of the job, starting in early January 2026.

United Infrastructure will have a Customer Service Technician embedded with the team to support and liaise with residents, and letters will be delivered to keep customers updated about work near their properties.

Plans were developed to protect the area's rich archaeological and environmental features, and the timing of this final phase avoids the holiday park's summer season.

Brian Hardy, Project Manager at Northumbrian Water, said: "This is a big project for a small community, but by renewing the area’s ageing water mains all in one go, we can avoid the need to return on multiple occasions, adding resilience and protecting supplies for future generations.

"We know this will be disruptive, so our partners, United Infrastructure, will have a dedicated liaison on site, enabling people to get a quick response should any issues arise."