Keynsham water recycling centre fit for the future

A £17 MILLION water treatment upgrade that aims to meet the demands of Keynsham’s growing population and protect the environment is up and running after the completion of a two-year project.

The enhancement of Wessex Water’s water recycling centre site at the northern edge of the town is fully in service after sister company YTL Construction UK concluded the scheme.

Work ended this summer, followed by a period of commissioning and testing at the Broadmead Lane site.

Wessex Water says the project will significantly improve the ability to treat sewage from an expanding population and safeguard nearby watercourses such as the River Avon.

The investment has increased the site’s treatment capacity by more than 40 per cent – enabling up to 208 litres of sewage per second to be processed before being returned to the environment.

Additional equipment, such as new flow measurement processes for removing phosphorous from water, a 17-metre diameter primary settlement tank and upgraded power and a supply generator have also been introduced at the centre.

Meanwhile, a 15-metre diameter storm tank, capable of holding more than 300,000 litres of excess water, will reduce discharges of diluted untreated wastewater, the company says.

Where the network is overwhelmed by rainfall during heavy storms, the water will be held in the tank before being treated for return to the environment.

Wessex Water’s director of water recycling, Ashlea Lane, said: “The completion of this project reflects our commitment towards protecting the environment while supporting the growth of communities like Keynsham.

“By increasing treatment capacity and introducing new technologies to reduce pollution, we’re ensuring that this infrastructure is fit for the future, continues to meet the highest standards and is part of our wider ambition to improve water quality across the region.”

Wessex Water has also been working on a two-year £35 million expansion of the water recycling centre at Saltford, which will boost the capacity of the Mead Lane site to treat sewage from the city of Bath and the surrounding area. It is due to finish early next year.