NORTH West Water has announced a new £2.2 million scheme to fight drought problems in East Lancashire - but the hosepipe ban remains despite several heavy downpours.

The company says that although this week's rain has helped ease the situation, reservoir stocks are still well below normal and currently stand at about 47 per cent, compared to a 79 per cent average.

The situation in East Lancs is the region's worst but bosses hope the new scheme - part of an £85 million programme to keep water flowing to customers this summer - will go some way to cushion the effects of the drought.

The latest measure will duplicate a section of the Calder Valley Trunk Main, which will see an increase in supplies to customers in Burnley, Nelson and Colne.

Work is expected to begin in August and will boost supplies starting in October from 36 million litres a day to 43 million.

The existing 13 kilometre trunk main, supplying the area with Lake District water via Martholme pumping station near Burnley, will be duplicated for five kilometres with a parallel main, crossing the M65, a railway line and the Leeds-Liverpool Canal.

North West Water says the scheme will also reduce the risk of a loss in supplies in the event of a burst in the area where repairs could take some time.

But bosses did find something to raise a glass to after the Drinking Water Inspectorate's independent survey found water in the area to be safe and of high quality.

Of the 250,000 tests for quality taken from taps, 99.4 per cent met the required standards.

Those that failed to meet standards were still described as safe to drink.

One area of continuing concern is lead, picked up from piping and householder's own internal lead plumbing.

Eric Harper, NWW's quality director, said: "We will always strive to deliver 100 per cent compliances in the long term."

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