A NEW service reservoir will be built in the north of the Island next year.

The Isle of Man Water and Sewerage Authority has been successful in its application to construct the covered reservoir which will be located off the Glen Auldyn road in Lezayre.

The reservoir will be the primary water storage facility of treated water and provide increased security of supply to around 5,000 properties.

Tim Crookall MHK, chairman of the Water and Sewerage Authority, said: "We’d like to thank Lezayre Commissioners, the Honourable Eddie Teare MHK and the residents of Glen Auldyn for their support, understanding and cooperation throughout the planning process.

"This new reservoir will increase the security of supplies to everyone in the north of the Island and is an important part of the authority’s overall strategy for water supplies."

At 6.5 million litre (1.5 million gallon) capacity the reservoir is almost three times the size of the existing reservoir which is located at Ballure underneath the old Water Treatment Works.

This has been closed since the opening of the Sulby Water Treatment Works in 2005 and is now being decommissioned.

Work on constructing the new reservoir and pipeline will begin in early 2011 and is expected to take around 18 months to complete.