World Class university turns to Lanes for drainage expertise

Image courtesy: J Minh-Duy Poirrier Creative Commons

Durham University has awarded Lanes Group plc a contract to provide it with a comprehensive range of drainage services.

Under the 18-month contract, Lanes is sole provider of all specialist drainage services needed by the university, one of the most prestigious centres of academic learning in the world.

The work is being carried out by drainage teams from the Lanes Newcastle depot – with the university also having the benefit of access to specialist skills and services of Lanes teams across the UK, if they are needed.

Richard Leigh, Lanes Group Development Director, said: “We’re delighted that Durham University has selected Lanes to be its drainage service provider.

“We were able to demonstrate that we can deliver a full range of services with the high quality and value the university expects, while maintaining the highest standard of safety and customer service while working in live environments, with least disruption to students, staff, and visitors.

“Durham University’s aim was to work with a service provider that could be trusted to work on a wide range of assets, from heritage buildings to the most modern and complex structures, and that is what we were able to demonstrate through many successful drainage projects.”

Lanes Group is delivering reactive and planned drainage maintenance services across all Durham University’s built assets, including teaching facilities, administration buildings, and student accommodation.

Services include CCTV drainage surveys, emergency drain and sewer unblocking, planned drain cleaning and maintenance, pipe descaling, manhole repairs, grease trap cleaning, and septic tank emptying and cleaning.

Durham University’s estate is on two sites, in Durham City and on the Queen’s Campus in Stockton-on-Tees. Working safely and sensitively on drainage systems both within and under buildings that have significant historical important will be essential.

Of the 320 buildings in the estate, about 17 percent are more than 150 years old, with one dating back to 1076. Durham Castle and associated building are part of a World Heritage Site. Three properties are ancient monuments.

Gavin Potts, Regional Manager of the Lanes Newcastle depot, said: “We are going through a process of induction, with our teams given training and university security clearance to work across all their sites.

“We are looking forward to working with the university’s asset management team to deliver an excellent drainage service, on behalf of students, staff, and visiting members of the public.”

Durham is one of the most modern and successful research universities in the UK. It is a World Top 100 University with a global reputation and performance in research and education.

The university has 4,000 staff and nearly 18,000 students who are assigned to 16 colleges, and study in 25 academic schools and departments.