Protecting nature around Horsham

What are we doing?

We’re working closely with our trusted partner, CMDP, to make our Horsham site more efficient and sustainable for the future. As part of this project, we’re installing new equipment — including two 15-metre Archimedes screws powered by electric motors. These will replace our old diesel system, helping us reduce our carbon footprint and allowing more wastewater to be treated at once. We’re also upgrading our control and monitoring systems to boost resilience across the network.

These improvements mean we’ll be able to support local population growth through to 2030, while also enhancing the quality of water we return to the environment — helping to protect the River Arun. Around the site, we’re creating new habitats and landscaping the area, which will lead to a 9% increase in biodiversity, supporting more animals, plants, and fungi.

We’re also preparing the site to handle flows from Mannings Heath, Warnham, and Faygate Wastewater Treatment Works, bringing benefits to communities across the region.

The project has been featured in Water Projects Online 2024.

So far, the project has supported the local community with:

Community Grants

CMDP awarded a grant of £1,000 to help local charity, Horsham Matters, with its winter energy bills, as part of our Community Grant initiative.

Investing in the local community

The project won a gold at the 2024 International Green Apple Environmental Awards. It has helped maximised spend in the local area by using local suppliers and contractors. CMDP has spent over £2.4 million with companies within a 20-mile radius of the site. This includes over £100,000 spent with businesses located within five miles of Horsham Wastewater Treatment Works.

Volunteering

• As part of this project, we've supported local homeless charity Turning Tides, with site staff volunteering on multiple occasions to assist with the redevelopment of Roffey Place in Horsham.
• We've helped QEII Silver Jubilee School in Horsham by clearing overgrown vegetation, to allow for the erection of some sheds for pupils.
• We've also supported ‘Ten Little Toes’, a charity organisation who has recently relocated. We helped clear their gardens of overgrown vegetation.

Educational engagement

• We supported the delivery of our Water Supply Challenge game at St Robert Southwell Catholic Primary School in Horsham, plus a Waterwise talk to the 4th Horsham Scouts.
• We attended the Festival of Science Careers Fayre at Collyers’ College in Horsham.
• When engaging with the community, supporting material directly relating to the project was used – e.g., drone footage from site and Vlogs produced by the project’s apprentice civil engineer which was also posted on social media.
• We’ve hosted site visits and briefings for stakeholders and organisations, including Jeremy Quin MP, Member of Parliament for Horsham, Peter Bottomley MP, Member of Parliament for West Worthing, directors from the Environment Agency, staff from Horsham District Council and our Executive Management Team.
• We’ve met with representatives of Warnham Nature Reserve in Horsham, to explore opportunities for partnership working and their desire for their Visitor Centre to be “off grid”.

Useful information for residents and visitors

There will be no visible alterations to the existing landscape that can currently be seen from the surrounding area or from the A24.

Local suppliers are being used “where possible” within a 30-mile radius of the site, For example, the project team have utilised a crane supplier based in Southwater, Horsham, rather than a national supplier utilised previously along with recruitment of an Apprentice Civil Engineer recruited from the Sussex area.

Contact the Capital Projects Customer Team

You can email the Capital Projects Customer Team at capitalcomms@southernwater.co.uk. They will always get back to you within 5 working days, but usually less.

Alternatively, you can call Southern Water on 0330 3030 368. Just tell us you’re calling about Capital Projects, with Project Reference Number (PRN) 752012, so we can help you more quickly.