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Watermen: A Dirty Business

Hannah Wyatt

Simon Kerfoot

Watermen: A Dirty Business: Episode 4

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Episode 4

BBC Two - Watermen: A Dirty Business, Episode 4

How the workers of United Utilities deal with the ageing sections of the water grid.

Series following workers at one of Britain's biggest water companies. The workforce deals with the problems caused by an ageing water grid with parts dating back to the Victorians.

From collapsed Victorian sewers to 1970s pipes giving way under increased demand, this episode is a lesson in history as the United Utilities workforce try to cope with an ageing grid of 40,000 miles of sewers and 25,000 miles of water mains. 

In Blackpool, Andy and Terry deal with an ancient collapsed sewer which has caused a pavement to subside before tackling a rather pungent blocked sewer. A 40-year-old water main in Cheshire bursts, leaving two thousand irate villagers without water. Meanwhile in Rochdale, waste water team Adrian and Wes investigate a blocked Victorian sewer which is overflowing onto a main road. However, these problems are a learning curve for some, as the aqueduct which supplies Manchester's water supply is turned off for the first time in 60 years to check for repairs. It is a jaw-dropping thought that the 4,000 men who originally built the tunnel had none of the technology team have nowadays, a testament to the skill and engineering still relied upon today.

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Following the people who work for one of Britain's biggest water companies.

Getting clean water can be a dirty business and people only notice when something goes wrong. This series follows those who run and work for one of Britain's biggest water companies.

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