The River Wye is set to receive an investment to improve wastewater treatment, says Welsh Water. The not-for-profit water company is investing £3.6million to remove phosphates from the treated wastewater in the river.
At the beginning of the year, Welsh Water started work on a project to upgrade the wastewater treatment works which it owns and operates in the area. The treatment works already treats the wastewater it receives from the surrounding area to a "high standard", claims Welsh Water, but the planned upgrades will see the treatment process enhanced further.
The main improvement will be the introduction of a process which will remove phosphates from the treated wastewater. Phosphates can cause algal bloom - which can produce toxins that can be harmful to human and animal health.
Welsh Water says that removing them from the treated wastewater will help reduce levels in the nearby River Wye in Herefordshire. The water company claims this in turn will benefit the river quality and its aquatic life.
The investment towards the River Wye forms part of Welsh Water’s investment of £836 million in their wastewater infrastructure by 2025. The treatment works is taking place near Coldstone Cross and is set to be completed by July 2024.
Dŵr Cymru - Welsh Water’s Senior Project Manager, Daniel Purchase said: “As a company, we are committed to ensuring we protect the environment within our care, and that includes the watercourses we interact with. There are a number of factors which contribute to phosphate levels in watercourses, and we are committed to ensuring we do all that we can to keep our contribution to the absolute minimum. Our significant investment here in Herefordshire reflects this.”
“We appreciate that this kind of work can cause some inconvenience, but we will do all we can to keep this to a minimum and would like to thank people for bearing with us whilst we undertake this essential work.”
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