An £11 million project to help safeguard the health of one of the primary rivers in the county of Somerset, UK, was completed this May.

The 18-month large-scale refurbishment of the water recycling centre in the town of Langport will help significantly reduce the impact of damaging chemicals found in wastewater, on the environment. According to Wessex Water, the refit will ensure the site continues to keep pace with environmental targets and ensure the quality of the treated wastewater continues to meet the highest standard, helping to improve water quality in the River Parrett and its surroundings. 

Since autumn 2023, teams from Wessex Water and sister engineering and construction company YTL Construction have been carrying out a programme of improvements at the site to the west of the town, enhancing measures for the removal of phosphorus from wastewater during the treatment process. The installation of new systems, tanks and upgrades to electrical equipment on site have also been completed, with more than 8,000 tonnes of earth shifted during the project to pave the way for the improvements.

Project manager Victoria Plummer said, “Chemicals like phosphorus are found sewage arriving at our water recycling centres, with farm slurries, agricultural fertilisers and septic tanks among the sources, and Wessex Water has committed millions of pounds across its region to address this issue. Where these nutrients are present in high concentrations, they can cause large growths of algae in waterways such as streams and rivers; damaging plants and animals in those areas by depleting the amount of oxygen in the water – a process known as eutrophication.

“The work carried out at Langport is an example of the decisive action we are taking to address this issue as part of our commitment to protect the environment and also take into account the potential for population growth in the area in future years.’’

More than £40 million of similar work to improve treatment methods has been completed or is already got under way across Somerset in the last few years. This included work on sites near Martock, Crewkerne and Merriott, all close to the River Parrett

In nearby Somerton, more than £5 million was spent to remove chemicals and enhance the water recycling centre to boost the protection of local watercourses and the nearby River Cary.

Further north, a £5 million Wessex Water project to build an integrated constructed wetland to naturally remove nutrients is expected to get under way near Shapwick next summer.

More information about other ways Wessex Water has invested to help protect the environment is available here.