WITH disruption on your doorstep and long traffic delays, it is easy to forget what United Utilities is working to achieve in Middlewich.

Forty homes in Booth Lane and Cross Lane have been affected by 30 years of flooding and the water giant is determined to put an end to that with a £10m project.

But engineers have faced criticism for the impact the scheme has had on nearby residents.

So the Guardian was given an exclusive look behind the scenes for a greater appreciation of the scale of the operation and how it will all work.

The first thing we saw was the vast detention tank which is being built in Cross Lane, opposite the Turnpike pub.

It is 15 metres across by 12 metres deep, can store up to 6,000 cubic metres of waste water and represents £1.5m of the project’s cost.

Helen Wilson, spokesman for United Utilities, said: “The whole scheme is about capturing extra water in the sewer network underground so that it doesn’t have to overflow during heavy rain and cause flooding.

“The idea is that when the rain stops the water from the tank will be pumped back into the combined sewers and off to the treatment works.”

Eventually, more than 3km of new pipes will be installed and connected in Booth Lane, Cross Lane, Warmingham Lane and out through the fields to the River Wheelock.

These pipes will also be three times the size of the original pipes with a width of 18in.

But there is a common misconception that the flood relief scheme will see the original pipes replaced.

Instead, if the existing system overflows there are ‘relief points’ to the new pipes.

This work has been completed in Booth Lane and the Guardian saw the massive 4ft drills that are currently being used to dig through tough clay deep in the ground in Cross Lane to make way for the new sewer system.

“Residents want a solution as soon as possible,” said Mark Clinton, project coordinator.

“We’ve had a lot of consultation with police and highways and when we close a road we have an appreciation of the impact.

“The message is we’re forging on as fast as we can. People are resilient and get used to things.

“But we want to reward people’s patience by giving them back access as soon as possible.”

Richard Townsend, project manager, added: “We want to have the project is use by the end of March.

“If people have had the awful problem of flooding they’re well aware and are glad of what we’re doing.”

The next phase of the scheme which could cause some problems is set to start on November 5 for six weeks when part of Cross Lane and Warmingham Lane will be closed at the same time.

But the United Utilities team is set to visit nearby Cledford School to give a talk about health and safety.

Middlewich has been prone to flooding due to its rising population and increase in the number of developments in the area.

Clr Simon McGrory said: “Until you see it, you don’t recognise what’s being undertaken.

“A lot of thanks go to people who are putting up with the chaos for the benefit of the town.”