A £10m scheme to replace more than nine miles of water mains in the upper Rhymney Valley has begun.

The work, which is being carried out by not-for-profit company Welsh Water, started on Monday (June 15).

The work is set to be carried out in phases over the next two years, with the first phase taking place in Rhymney and Pontlottyn.

Work will also be carried out in Abertysswg, New Tredegar, Tirphil, Brithdir, Cwmsyfiog and Deri at a later date.

David Taylor of Welsh Water said: “Between 2020 and 2025 we will be investing £1.8 billion in our water and wastewater network to make sure we deliver the best service possible for our customers.

“As part of this, we will be investing £10 million on the water network in the Rhymney Valley as we continue to work to improve the quality of our drinking water for customers, and ensure they receive clean and fresh water for many years to come.

“While we are working in these areas, some customers may experience low water pressure or discoloured water. This is perfectly normal when work like this is being carried out and should return to normal quickly.”

Mr Taylor added: “I’d like to reassure people that we have done a lot of work to plan this project. We have been working closely with the local authority to make sure that our work is coordinated so that we are able to keep any potential disruption to an absolute minimum.

“I’d like to take the opportunity to thank people in advance for bearing with us during the work and assure them we will get everything done as quickly and as safely as we can.”

Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney’s Senedd Member, Dawn Bowden, and Member of Parliament Gerald Jones, held an online meeting with Welsh Water to learn more about the planned works.

Ms Bowden MS welcomed the scheme and said: “We were assured about the working methods to be used at this time and the planning of traffic management to coincide with each section of the project.

“I would urge any constituent with queries to contact Dwr Cymru, to check their social media or my office in the usual way if there are outstanding issues.”

Mr Jones MP said: “The current mains network in the area dates back to Victorian times, and this investment is very welcome.

“I’m grateful to Welsh Water for the engagement and keeping me and Dawn Bowden MS informed of the plans for the works, and they have given assurances that disruption, if any, during the project would be minimal.

“Despite the difficulties posed by the pandemic, I appreciate that Welsh Water have tried to engage local communities in different ways, keeping local residents informed with letters and also establishing site offices in the Upper Rhymney Valley to coordinate the work.”