THE finishing touches are being put  to a "challenging" project which will improve the quality of water going into a local river. 

The sewer scheme which has been built in Ulverston by United Utilities has seen a new 17-metre deep underground storage tank built beneath the allotments in The Ellers. 

New sewer pipes have also been placed in Morecambe Road and Lund Road. 

The new system can hold more waste water and  the storm overflow will be used less frequently. 

A spokesman for United Utilities said: "The storm overflow acts like a relief valve during heavy rain. 

"This overflow goes into Town Beck and ultimately the Leven Estuary." 

The new tank can hold an extra 1,425 cubic metres of dirty storm water which would otherwise find its way into the beck and out to the sea. 

Instead, the water will now be stored safely until the rain subsides and then be pumped out to the treatment works to be cleaned. 

The project began in 2014 and the tank is in operation but some final reinstatement work above ground is due to be completed in the next few weeks. 

During the scheme United Utilities put £7,000 into a fund for local community groups that had been affected by the construction work. 

The money went towards:

- Crake Community First Responders, who needed more defibrillators and equipment to carry on their lifesaving work. 

- Ford Park Community Group, who would use the funding to help people and families eat and learn together more sustainably. 

- Leven Valley CE Primary School, for new chairs for the school. 

- Leven Valley History Society, to provide electronic systems for documents, maps and photographs. 

- Swarthmoor Community Group, to help refurbish the village hall. 

- Ulverston Inshore Rescue, to part-fund training courses for their volunteers. 

- Ulverston Rangers Football Club, towards the cost of renovating their changing rooms.

- Ulverston Town Council, for help to restore the town’s grade II listed war memorial. 

The project recently won a civil engineering award. 

Kevin Moody, United Utilities capital programme manager, said: "The whole team is delighted with this recognition. Creating an underground storage tank in a confined area was certainly challenging but, by working closely with the local community, we managed to minimise disruption. 

"The tank eases pressure on the local sewer system during heavy rain, reducing spills and helping to ensure cleaner rivers and a cleaner coastline. Our thanks to local people for all their patience during the project."