Anglian Water is set to upgrade Ashton’s Water Recycling Centre (WRC), near Northampton. The firm is to install new equipment which will remove phosphorous from wastewater, improving river water quality nearby. Work began on site at Ashton WRC this month and is expected to finish by March 2023. As the
The Anglian Water £100 million programme of additional storm water storage across the East of England is almost complete. The programme forms part of the water company’s Get River Positive initiative which was launched by Anglian Water and Severn Trent earlier this year. The plan includes five pledges to transform
Civil engineering and infrastructure specialist Barhale will lead a new scheme to protect critical water infrastructure from the impact of erosion on the Suffolk coastline. The programme of works will be carried out at Corton Beach, Lowestoft on behalf of Anglian Water by Barhale as part of the @one Alliance,
Anglian Water is set to upgrade Ashton’s Water Recycling Centre (WRC), near Northampton. The firm is to install new equipment which will remove phosphorous from wastewater, improving river water quality nearby. Work began on site at Ashton WRC this month and is expected to finish by March 2023. As the upgrades are taking place on site at the WRC, Anglian Water customers in the Ashton area should not experience any disruption during the scheme. Phosphorous is widely used in soaps and cleaning products but can be harmful to wildlife when it reaches rivers and other watercourses. The investment at Ashton WRC, which is worth £4 million, includes new equipment to strengthen the current water recycling process and remove even more phosphorous from wastewater. “We’re really pleased that these upgrades to Ashton’s Water Recycling Centre will help to protect nearby rivers and increase our resilience to climate change, by helping us make sure the wastewater is treated to an even higher standard than usual before it’s returned to the natural environment,” said Polly Garrod, Regional Treatment Manager. “We know how important rivers and the wider environment are to our customers and local communities. That’s why we’ve committed through our Get River Positive programme that our water recycling processes will not harm rivers.” Anglian Water’s team has used detailed modelling of the local system to design a robust engineering scheme which will help to protect local watercourses in Ashton now and in the future. This investment means the water entering the River Tove from Ashton WRC will be even cleaner, protecting wildlife and water quality in the river, as well as other downstream watercourses. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The Anglian Water £100 million programme of additional storm water storage across the East of England is almost complete. The programme forms part of the water company’s Get River Positive initiative which was launched by Anglian Water and Severn Trent earlier this year. The plan includes five pledges to transform river water quality across their regions and demonstrates a clear and actionable response to calls for a revival of rivers in England. Central to the pledges is a commitment that work carried out by the two water companies will ensure storm overflows and sewage treatment works do not harm rivers. Because large proportions of the sewer network take surface water combined with wastewater, it means that rainwater ends up flowing through pipes to nearby water recycling centres where it is cleaned and returned to the environment. If this network becomes overwhelmed during heavy rainfall, that water can be released into nearby watercourses, to protect homes and businesses from flooding. As part of Get River Positive, Anglian Water has committed to greatly reducing how often this happens, protecting the region’s rivers and seas. “We know that the frequency and severity of extreme weather – including drought, intense rainfall and flooding – is becoming more commonplace as a result of climate change. This year we’re in a strange juxtaposition where this summer’s extremely dry weather is actually a contributing factor for flooding. As it’s been dry for so long, the ground is still drier than usual and intense rainfall on to harder ground does not soak in as easily, meaning standing water builds up as there’s nowhere for it to go, causing surface water flooding. It’s a bit like a bath plughole, and it takes time for the water to drain away,” said Head of Environmental Strategy for Anglian Water, Carly Leonard. “On top of this, the East of England is the lowest and flattest part of the UK so there’s less gravity to help water flow through catchments meaning rainwater more commonly stays where it falls. All of these factors mean that we need resilient infrastructure that can rise to the challenge and help us protect the environment at the same time. Being able to store excess water on our sites means that less ends up in our rivers, seas and some of the unique habitats in our region.” The installation of new storm tanks, and increasing the capacity of existing tanks, means that larger volumes of rainfall, particularly during periods of extremely wet weather, can be captured and stored, helping prevent storm spills. The water is then released from the storage tank at a controlled rate through the water recycling process to make sure it’s clean enough to be returned to nearby watercourses. Importantly, being able to store excess rainwater in this way provides additional protection to rivers, many of which in the East of England are unique chalk stream habitats, as well as the region’s coastline. Despite the East of England seeing periods of heavy rainfall over the last couple of months, the region is still classed as being in a drought, with reservoirs, underground water stores and river levels still below average for this time of year. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Civil engineering and infrastructure specialist Barhale will lead a new scheme to protect critical water infrastructure from the impact of erosion on the Suffolk coastline. The programme of works will be carried out at Corton Beach, Lowestoft on behalf of Anglian Water by Barhale as part of the @one Alliance, the collaboration of consultants and contractors working together to deliver more than half of Anglian Water’s capital investment programme. Continued coastal erosion has made it necessary to move three sewer pipes that currently run along the beach to a new route approximately 100 metres inland. They include the primary 700mm Lowestoft domestic wastewater pipe which runs to the Lowestoft Water Recycling Centre (WRC) to be treated before being taken away by a second 800mm pipe to the Nesspoint outfall. A third pipe (300mm), dedicated to the nearby Birds Eye factory will also be moved. The replacement pipework will be laid through opencut to a depth of 2.5m in ductile iron with a special lining to protect against saline water. The new route will take the pipelines through the Gunton Warren Nature Reserve and the project has been subject to intensive involvement from East Suffolk Council, ecologists, arboriculturists and Suffolk Wildlife Trust to ensure there is minimal impact on the environment and ecology found in the reserve. It has also led to the agreement of a five year plan on completion of the project that will deliver a net biodiversity gain of 10%. Barhale’s contract manager, Stuart Kempster underlined the importance of the works and of proactively managing the risks presented by coastal erosion. “This is a critical project to protect the water infrastructure of Lowestoft and the surrounding area,” he said. “Anglian Water’s early intervention will significantly extend the life of the existing assets and ensure that the retreating coastline does not have any impact on waste water management. “Anglian Water and the @one Alliance have been very mindful of the new pipeline route and have worked closely with stakeholders to create a post-completion ecology programme that will actually enhance biodiversity. We are proud to be playing our part not only in leading these important works but also helping to make sure that we leave the site with ethe best possible future.” Work is scheduled to start in early 2022 and to take approximately 12 months.
