A WATER company is to spend almost £1m upgrading a major sewage treatment plant.

Northumbrian Water is investing £900,000 in improving the Belmont works, off the A690 in Belmont, near Durham City.

The work will see various parts of the plant upgraded and processes improved.

Bosses expect the scheme to take up to five months to complete. It is due to begin on Tuesday, November 1.

Belmont sewage treatment works treats four million litres of waste water every day, from customers in the Carrville, Belmont and Shincliffe areas around Durham.

Dean Thompson, the project manager for the upgrade, said: "The work will improve the site’s efficiency and is part of our £1.2bn investment between 2010 and 2015 to upgrade Northumbrian Water’s vast water and sewerage networks."

Although it can be seen from the A1(M), the Belmont works is relatively isolated from residential areas.

During the work, construction traffic will access the site via an access road off the A690 signposted Maureen Terrace. However, traffic will not use Maureen Terrace itself. No diversions or road closures will be necessary.

Anyone who has queries about the work is invited to call Northumbrian Water’s customer centre on 0845-7171100.

Company bosses are reminding residents that representatives of Northumbrian Water, or its contractor BAM Nuttall, will not require access to customers’ homes while the work is being carried out.

If anyone is in doubt about the validity of a caller claiming to be from Northumbrian Water, they are advised not to allow them into their home. To confirm the caller’s identity, ring the customer call centre number above.

Earlier this year, Northumbrian Water began a year-long £3m flood prevention scheme in the Belmont and Carrville areas aimed at protecting around 90 homes.

This has meant temporary traffic lights on major routes including Broomside Lane and the installation of four storm water storage tanks.

However, bosses are confident the work will be completed before Christmas. For more information on the progress of this project, visit belmontflooding.co.uk Last year, Northumbrian Water invested £1m in a two-phase project to protect a further 89 homes in the Belmont and Carrville areas.