South West Water has completed a major upgrade to the water network in one Cornish town.

The £270,000 work was to replace a large section of cast iron pipework that had been in place in Fowey, Cornwall since the 1960s.

This has now been swapped for a new polyethylene, which the company said would ensure residents received the highest quality drinking water.

Taking place along the B3415 into the town, the work was designed to ensure there was no disruption to residents’ water supply throughout, and that a limited amount of excavation work was needed – speeding up the process of laying the new pipe.

In total, 800 metres of pipe was replaced, which South West Water said would improve the reliability and quality of the water supply in Fowey, and make sure the town’s network is fit for the future.

The project is part of a wide programme of upgrades the firm is making to its network across the region, with the company planning to invest a record £2.8 billion in its infrastructure over the next five-year period.

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Apostolos Grammatopoulos, project manager for South West Water, said: “We’re confident this new pipeline – an essential upgrade to our local water network in Fowey – will deliver the best quality drinking water which we know is important to the area’s community.

“This work will deliver long-lasting improvements and strengthen the resilience of our Fowey network, and we’d like to thank residents for their support while this work was carried out.”