A £6m investment has increased safety measures at Northumberland's West Hallington Reservoir, aiming to mitigate the risk of flooding during emergencies.

Northumbrian Water has conducted work which facilitates water being released safely more quickly from the reservoir when required, protecting the local community from flooding.

The investment has contributed to the resilience of the dam and also the implementation of a siphon system aimed at amplifying the drawdown capacity.

The work started in January 2023, executed by a project team, Mott MacDonald Bentley, who are Northumbrian Water’s partners and seasoned in delivering such projects throughout the country.

While teams will revisit to complete landscaping works later this year to capitalise on more favourable conditions, the engineering aspect of the project has been accomplished and successfully tested.

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The project is also shortlisted in the 'Medium' category of the Robert Stephenson Awards by the Institution of Civil Engineers North East.

Glyn Jenkins, project manager at Northumbrian Water, said: "Our reservoirs and dams are regularly inspected for safety by our own people and by independent experts, because it is important to ensure they are maintained and safe.

"This investment has added an additional layer of safety at West Hallington, with experienced expert engineers delivering an enhanced drawdown system that increases our ability to respond when needed.

“The work has required areas of the dam that were open to the public to be closed, but these will be re-opened shortly, and we look forward to being able to complete the reinstatement work in the coming months.”