United Utilities

Contractors working on £multi-million water and wastewater treatment projects currently underway for United Utilities in Cumbria have discovered how Prolectric's solar lighting technology can help them to deliver project goals in environmentally-sensitive locations.

Trials of the innovative ProLight mobile solar lighting tower have been concluded at two sites by United Utilities’ delivery partner Advance – a Joint Venture between Balfour Beatty and Stantec (MWH).  The ProLights successfully protected on-site operational health and safety with reliable, bright lighting, without the emissions or risk of spills associated with conventional diesel generator alternatives during a 6-month period ending in May 2018.

Two ProLights have been used to illuminate access routes and pedestrian walkways at the Williamsgate construction compound, near Cockermouth, where 80 staff are currently employed between 7am to 7pm every day to construct a 48 megalitre underground service reservoir as part of United Utilities £300m West Cumbria Water Supplies Project.

John Hilton, Project Director for United Utilities, said:

“Environmental protection is at the heart of this project, which we are building to guarantee the long-term security of drinking water supplies for people in West Cumbria, while ending the reliance on highly sensitive local water sources.  Working through the heart of the Lake District National Park, this is one of the biggest and most environmentally challenging projects in United Utilities’ history and it is vital that we minimise the impact of the work.

“This is a great example of some of the innovative thinking the team has employed.”

The project will see the construction of a 100km pipeline to bring water from Thirlmere reservoir to West Cumbria via a new treatment works, two new pumping stations and two new service reservoirs.

The Advance JV has also deployed ProLights successfully at United Utilities’ £40million wastewater treatment upgrade project at Bowness-on-Windermere where a new 6.5km large diameter rising sewer main is being built to reduce the risk of sewer flooding and overflows at the lakeside pumping station during heavy rain.  Solar lighting provides illumination for vehicle and pedestrian access around the construction compound where there is no access to mains power.

The Advance JV has also used ten smaller Prolectric ProTemp LED solar lighting columns to provide powerful and reliable lighting around the Windermere compound.  The ProTemp is mounted on a concrete block and easily manoeuvred into place by fork-life or sack barrow. As it does not use mains power, the ProTemp dispenses with the need for a contractor to dig trenches, install trunking or cables and saves significantly on groundworking and installation costs.