A nine-month project worth more than £500,000 to replace water mains at a historic Wolverhampton reservoir has been launched.

Severn Trent contractors are at the reservoir on Goldthorn Hill with the aim of improving water quality and reducing leaks and bursts. Bosses say water will be able to move through the new pipes faster, meaning it will be fresher when it gets to homes in the city.

The work will cost a total of £600,000 and will run until December. The Goldthorn reservoir has long been a feature of the city and by the second half of the 19th century, most of the city’s supplies were pumped into it along iron pipes. Water was taken from the River Worfe at Cosford and forced by steam power to the top of Summerhouse Hill and then by gravity along the seven miles to Tettenhall reservoir.

From here it was pumped to all parts of the town and Goldthorn Hill.

Severn Trent spokeswoman Grace Marren said today: “We are always looking to improve our assets and water main replacement is quite a common thing for us to do.

“It is not a direct objective, but replacing water mains means pipes are sturdier so this will help to reduce leakage and bursts and improve water quality.”

She added the project would not result in water being turned off for local residents because there were enough pipes at the reservoir for supplies to be diverted through others.

The project at Goldthorn Hill is one of a number currently being carried out by Severn Trent in the city. The company has recently started work on the second phase of a project costing almost £1 million in Aldersley.

The project should be finished by September.