Thames Water delivers £16.8M infrastructure boost with completion of North London trunk main upgrade

• Thames Water’s water mains upgrade at Fortis Green in North London protects water supplies for more than 35,000 properties in the area
• The near £17m project replaced 2.4km of ageing trunk main, completed in collaboration with Barhale
• Investment is part of commitment to improve performance, future-proof water supply and build greater resilience in the capital

Thames Water has recently completed a £16.8m project to upgrade 2.4km of ageing trunk main in Fortis Green, North London. This will build resilience and maintain a reliable source of water supply.

The work was carried out in collaboration with Barhale and was part of Thames Water’s AMP7 (2020-2025) Trunk Main programme to improve resilience across its clean water supply.

The investment is part of Thames Water’s ongoing improvements to its network , with over £20bn planned to be invested between 2025- 2030 across both its water and wastewater infrastructure.

Mark Taylor, Director of Delivery, London Infrastructure, Thames Water said:

“Our purpose is to deliver life's essential service, so our customers, communities and the environment can thrive. 

“We’re seeing the effects of population growth and climate change are putting increased pressure on our water pipes across the capital and we have a long-term commitment to improving infrastructure resilience, environmental performance, and service to customers as we plan to invest more than £20 billion by 2030.

“While Fortis Green was primarily a project to replace an important pipe on our network which was reaching the end of its natural life, it also presented an opportunity to upgrade part of the network and strengthen its resilience, which will benefit customers and motorists for years to come."

The upgrade was completed using a combination of micro-tunnelling and open cut trenching techniques. The project also moved the existing pipeline away from the A406 North Circular which will help limit traffic delays in the future should repairs and maintenance need to take place.

Shane Gorman, Water Director (Southern Region), Barhale said:

“Thanks to our extensive modelling and changes to the reference design we have been able to improve the capacity and the dynamic flow performance of the pipeline. This project is a strong example of how strategic engineering and early collaboration can deliver sustainable, high-value outcomes.”