Facility being constructed to clean-up rivers

A NEW pioneering facility is being constructed by Severn Trent Water to help it clean-up rivers.

The company tells that its new ozone wastewater treatment plant would help treat sections of rivers closer towards bathing standard, Roger Fox reports.

Started construction

Severn Trent has started construction of the country's first ozone wastewater treatment plant in Frankton, near Rugby, at a cost of £78million, with the plant featuring huge gas cylinders which hold ozone gas to treat wastewater—removing algae, iron, manganese, micro-pollutants, pharmaceuticals and other contaminants from its rivers.

The company has been fined a total of £3.5million since 2021 for its sewage discharges into waterways and tells this facility will ensure water is returned to the rivers which will be of the highest standard, and help it to create bathing rivers in the country.

As part of its Green Recovery programme, the company is planning to create two further plants to cover other rivers that should be in operation by March next year.

Change the future

Severn Trent Project Manager Wilfred Denga explained:

“The use of ozone to treat wastewater has the potential to truly change the future of wastewater treatment and this marks a really exciting step in our programme.

“The ozone treatment takes treatment one step further and makes the water as clean as possible—helping us with our ambition to create bathing rivers.”

It is not stated which rivers will be so treated, but states the navigable Avon will be so improved.