THE Swindale Water Intake and Fish Pass project at Haweswater was highly commended by judges in the small and medium civil engineering projects category at the North West Civil Engineering Awards, hosted by the Institution of Civil Engineers.

The United Utilities project involved creating the utility company's first ever “intelligent” water abstraction – a new flow measurement structure with a “fish pass” allowing the migration of fish and eels.

It also helps river habitats 6.5 kilometres downstream and improves the way water is taken from the river. The £7 million project employed St Helens-based Coffey Construction Ltd as both principal designer and principal contractor.