WAT-ER achievement.

The most innovative supply scheme in the world is operating at Lostock water treatment works in Bolton.

United Utilities' £17 million new rapid gravity filtration plant has won the top Water Management and Supply Award from the Institute of Chemical Engineers — beating off competition from Nigeria, India, Egypt and Singapore.

It is the second major award for the plant which has already been named North West Large Project of the Year by Institute of Civil Engineering.

The company says that the project was built in record time and played a vital role in keeping water supplies on tap for homes and businesses across Greater Manchester.

It allowed the Lostock treatment plant near Bolton to take up the strain when the famous Haweswater Aqueduct was shut down and inspected last October — as featured in the BBC Two Watermen documentary.

Danny Brennan, United Utilities senior project manager, said: “The whole ethos of the Lostock project team was that there is no such word as 'can’t'.

"Our success was a crucial milestone in the preparations behind the scenes of the Haweswater Aqueduct shutdown, helping ensure we kept the taps flowing for two million people in the North West.

“The new filtration system meant we could ramp up the flows from Manchester’s alternative Lake District feed, the Thirlmere Aqueduct, and our customers wouldn’t notice a thing."

“This nomination follows on from our success with the Davyhulme sludge recycling centre in the Energy category last year — and shows what an exciting and key role chemical engineers have to play in the water industry today.”