A £3M WATER project linking Swaledale villages with the mains supply in neighbouring Wensleydale is expected to be commissioned next month.

The project takes Yorkshire Water a step closer to complet-ing a supply grid which has helped to ensure customers have been spared any form of restriction for a decade.

Engineering work began in the 1960s when a new trunk main was laid, linking South and West Yorkshire with the Vale of York, allowing water to be moved from the River Derwent into Leeds and Sheffield.

After privatisation in 1989, work began in earnest on an interconnecting mains supply and, since 1996, Yorkshire Water has been investing at the rate of £1m a day in its mains and sewerage infrastructures.

Today, water can be moved from rivers, reservoirs and groundwater sources to where it is needed but, until now, Swaledale villages have been supplied by the water treatment works at Langthwaite, which needed major refurbishment and modernisation.

The project would have meant acquiring more land near the site to make room for expansion, but, after consulting householders in the area, Yorkshire Water agreed that connection to the region-wide water grid would be a better long-term solution.

To achieve this, the company began building a ten-mile section of main linking Swaledale with the water treatment works at Thornton Steward, between Bedale and Leyburn.

Yorkshire Water project manager Peter Riggall said: "Connecting Swaledale to the supply from Wensleydale provides another vital link in the chain which means almost all our mains are now connected to the Yorkshire Water grid, allowing us the flexibility to pump water from reservoirs, rivers and groundwater sources to where it is needed."

The new main is connected to the grid supply from Thornton Steward at Bellerby and follows the line of the A6108 and B6270 roads to Marrick, Fremington and Reeth before following the road to Arkengarthdale as far as Reeth service reservoir.

Work began last summer and the new main is expected to be commissioned by June.

Although Swaledale will be connected to the Wensleydale system, Yorkshire Water will still be buying commoners' rights at Langthwaite, where future options remain.

Customers may notice a slight change in the taste of their water once the project is completed because the treatment process is different from the softer water from Thornton Steward. Yorkshire Water runs a helpline, 0845 124 2424.

The company and its contractors have made a number of donations since the project began in recognition of disruption caused on local roads.

They include a contribution from lead contractor Costains towards Swaledale Seedlings, while Yorkshire Water gave £300 towards play equipment at Reeth Primary School, installed a free water cooler at Arkengarthdale Primary School, spent £200 on kitchen improvements at Low Row Institute and £500 on sponsorship for this year's Swaledale Festival.

Sub-contractors Ken Rodney gave £200 to Arkengarthdale School to cover the cost of the children's annual outing.