UNITED Utilities is spending £1.25m on a 10-month project to replace old cast iron pipes in Culcheth with modern plastic ones.

The water company hopes the work, which will be carried out around Twiss Green Primary School, will prevent low water pressure, discolouration and reduce leaks.

"Some of our old water mains date back more than 100 years," said United Utilities's project engineer, Iain Harris.

"The pipes have done a great job but they are not up to modern standards and it is time to replace them with ones fit for the 21st century."

The new pipes will be layed by inserting them into the old ones - a technique known as slip-lining' which needs only small access holes to be dug rather than large trenches.

United Utilities says the work is expected to cause minimal disruption on some roads.