New £3.4m Isle of Man water main needed to ensure 'reliable supply'

Manx Utilities said the main would be one of the longest to be laid on the island in more than 20 years

A £3.4m project to install a new water main supplying thousands of homes in the south of the Isle of Man will begin after Easter, it has been confirmed.

Work on the six-mile (10km) pipe between St Marks and Grenaby will start on 19 April and take about five months to complete, Manx Utilities (MU) said.

MU chairman Rob Callister said it would bring a reliable supply of water to an area disrupted by frequent bursts.

The authority has warned some roads may need to close during the project.

More than 4,200 properties in Grenaby, Ronague, Ballabeg, Colby and Ballsalla are set to benefit from the new pipeline, which an MU spokesman said was "one of the longest water main installations to be installed in over 20 years".

Mr Callister said it was "important to continue to replace the ageing critical infrastructure".

It will connect to local service pipes, transferring water from the Braaid and Chibbanagh Service Reservoirs.

A separate main will also be laid along the Phildraw Road to Ballamodha to improve supplies in the area and to Higher Foxdale.

Excavation work is due take place on seven roads in the area, including St Marks Road and the Ballamodha Straight, and traffic lights will be used where possible to "reduce road closures and disruption to road users".