Reepham water treatment site getting £6.5 million upgrade

It's hoped it will improve water quality in local areas

Author: Sian RochePublished 22nd Feb 2023
Last updated 22nd Feb 2023

Anglian Water's spending £6.5 million to upgrade its water treatment site in Reepham - in an attempt to prevent wastewater leaking into the nearby River Wensum.

The work will include new technology to remove more phosphorous from wastewater, an upgraded storm tank, and new equipment to strengthen the current water recycling process by allowing the site to process higher volumes of wastewater.

It's hoped it will improve water quality in local watercourses, including the River Wensum.

The water firm says it's making £100m worth of upgrades to its network - it comes after persistent complaints about pollution in local rivers.

Regan Harris, a spokesperson for Anglian Water, said: “We know how important rivers and the wider environment are to our customers and local communities. We’re really pleased that this scheme will help to protect nearby rivers and increase our resilience to climate change, by helping us make sure the wastewater is treated to an even higher standard than usual before it’s returned to the natural environment.

“As a result of climate change, we’re seeing more bouts of extreme weather, sudden downpours and rising sea levels, so it’s really important that our sites are prepared to process higher volumes of stormwater and protect the environment.

"That’s why we’ve committed through our Get River Positive programme that our water recycling processes will not harm rivers, with schemes like this one in Reepham.”

The project at Reepham is expected to be completed by April 2024.

Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.