Birse to be Yorks droughtbuster

Yorkshire Water has awarded Birse Construction three drought alleviation contracts worth œ11 million under the first phase of its drought investment programme.

The contracts, awarded to the process engineering and civils division of Birse, include works on the Pennine Spine, Moor Monkton and St Aiden's pumping stations.

Work on the Pennine Spine pumping station will cost around œ6 million and is aimed at improving water transfer on a north-south grid. It involves the construction of five new pumping stations.

Birse will also construct a œ4 million pumping station at Moor Monkton, and will carry out civil works at St Aiden pumping station, together with a pipeline for treated water. All works are due for completion by the end of August.

A Yorkshire Water spokesman said: "Due to the very fast procurement and construction times, Birse will undertake work in partnership with key suppliers and sub-contractors. This strategy was essential to the successful completion by Birse of three contracts under the first phase of our drought investment programme."