UNITED Utilities has had £8million made available in order to help clean up the north west's waterways.

The funding has come from the Government's water safety watchdog, Ofwat, and is to be used by United Utilities in partnership with the Rivers Trust, Mott MacDonald, and Jacobs.

A further £900,000 is to be provided to the waterways company by other partners, bringing up the total funding to £8.9million.

The five-year programme aims to put a wide range of nature-based solutions such as wetlands, Sustainable Drainage Systems and peatland restoration to the test, to demonstrate how they can be used to make the water environment more resilient to climate change and other pressures.

Kieran Brocklebank, head of innovation at United Utilities, said: “We understand and share the concerns that our customers have about wastewater treatment and the quality of rivers and streams, and this programme will enable us to explore more ways to tackle the challenges we face.

“Natural solutions such as wetlands and peatland restoration have wide-reaching benefits, not only to improve water quality but also in slowing the flow of rainwater to help prevent flooding and providing important habitats for wildlife.

“We’re delighted to be leading this national research and development programme and look forward to sharing our findings with the industry to help improve water quality right across the country.”

David Black, CEO at Ofwat, said: “The water sector has faced mounting pressure over systemic challenges related to the environment and society, while the climate around us continues to drastically change shape.

"That’s why we’re funding ground-breaking innovations with potential to help us save and reuse water and wastewater products, while supporting wider society.”