Dredging commences at Anchorsholme Long Sea Outfall

United Utilities are now working on the bigger phase of work: building a new storm water pumping station to replace the existing station on the promenade. New structures will allow UU to screen and control what flows through the new pumping station and UU are also laying a new extended outfall pipe, which will discharge the excess screened storm water out to sea.

The contract for the Long Sea Outfall was awarded to J. Murphy & Sons’ Natural Resources & Marine sector, drawing on its specialist marine services (formerly known as Land & Marine).

At 2.5m diameter and 3.75km in length, the Anchorsholme polyethylene outfall pipe is believed to be the largest in diameter and length in the UK.

Part of a £100 million investment over five years, Anchorsholme long sea outfall forms part of the United Utilities’ strategy to improve the bathing water quality along the Fylde Coast. The outfall capacity is specifically designed to allow storm waters to flow far enough out to sea to prevent it affecting bathing water quality.

The planning, procurement and design stages of the project are now almost complete. Mobilisation on-site took place in March 2017. The works will involve the construction of a 500m long sheet piled cofferdam on the beach with dredging operations being carried out by Murphy’s subcontractor Rohde Nielsen out to 3.75km offshore.

The pipeline has been towed from Norway to Lough Foyle, where it will be assembled prior to towing to Blackpool for installation in August, followed by trench backfilling and diffuser installation works. The Murphy work barge, LM Constructor, will be used for the marine operations including installing hundreds of large concrete collars and ballast weights needed to ensure the stability of the polyethylene pipeline. The outfall project is due for completion in December 2017 and the pumping station project and park scope runs on well into 2018. The park doesn’t reopen until circa 2019/20.


Marine Project Quality Assurance support and supervision services are being carried out by the Anthony D Bates Partnership (ADBP) LLP for United Utilities.