Multi-million pound upgrades completed at three West Sussex wastewater treatment works to improve water quality
More than £13m of improvements have been completed at Southern Water’s wastewater treatment works at Forest Green, Balcombe and Ashington.
Improving water quality in Sussex
The schemes will play an important role in improving water quality at three rivers and tributaries next to the sites, these include The North River, River Ouse and River Adur.
The upgrades mean each site now meets a higher environmental standard, helping to reduce nutrient levels and protect sensitive watercourses across the surrounding catchments.
The work included:
- New chemical dosing equipment, including ferric dosing, to remove more phosphorus from treated wastewater
- Additional monitors to check effluent quality before it is released
Enhanced treatment processes designed to support better water quality in nearby rivers and waterways. - Increased storm tank capacity at Balcombe and Ashington storm tank capacity.
- Ashington now is able to treat more flows (from 23/litres per second to 30.7 litres per second)
Project manager Robin Woodward for Southern Water said:
“These upgrades are an important step in improving the quality of water entering local rivers and streams in West Sussex. By removing more phosphorus and strengthening our treatment processes, we’re helping to protect sensitive environments and support healthier waterways.”
The improvements comes as more than £8.5bn will be spent on Southern Water’s biggest ever investment plan to improve the environment, modernise its infrastructure and provide a more reliable service for its customers.
The works were carried out by GTb on behalf of Southern Water.
Andrew Dredge, Project Manager for GTb, said:
“We’re really pleased to have completed these projects. Our teams have worked tirelessly to meet the regulation dates and deliver improvements that will benefit these communities for years to come. We’d like to thank residents for their continued patience and understanding while we undertook this essential work.”