An £11 million project to help safeguard the health of one of Somerset’s primary rivers has been completed this month (May).
The finishing touches to an 18-month large-scale refurbishment of the water recycling centre at Langport, near the centre of the county, have been wrapped up to help significantly reduce the impact of damaging chemicals found in wastewater.
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 adjacent River Parrett and its surroundings.
Since the autumn of 2023, teams from Wessex Water and its 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 in, with sewage arriving at our water recycling centres, 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.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is currently reviewing Ofwat’s final determination of Wessex Water’s 2025-30 business plan, which has outlined further action to tackle nutrients in the region’s waterways.
If fully accepted by the CMA, the plans include £820 million to be invested in river and coastal water quality by upgrading treatment sites and removing 1,550 tonnes of nutrients from waterways.
More information about the Langport project and the other ways Wessex Water has invested to help protect the environment is available here.
