Anglian Water upgrades infrastructure in West Mersea to protect local watercourses

Anglian Water’s @one Alliance is due to begin work at its Water Recycling Centre (WRC) off Cross Lane in West Mersea, in line with the new Environment Agency regulations. The work will increase the amount of wastewater the site can treat and will improve the water quality in local watercourses, including the nearby Blackwater Estuary.

The scheme will see an investment of over £2.3million into the water recycling process at West Mersea WRC with the installation of new equipment to strengthen the current water recycling process by allowing the site to process higher volumes of wastewater.

Not only will the works protect the site from flooding, but it will also protect the natural environment in and around West Mersea by reducing the risk of storm spills.

Sarah Lovitt, Customer Co-Ordinator for the project said: “We know how important rivers and the wider environment are to our customers and local communities which is why we’re working to improve the Water Recyling Centre in West Mersea. The scheme will help protect nearby rivers and increase our resilience to climate change by ensuring the wastewater is treated to an even higher standard than usual before it’s returned to the 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. We’ve committed through our Get River Positive programme that our water recycling processes will not harm rivers, so we can continue to protect the environment with schemes like this one in West Mersea.”

Get River Positive was launched by Anglian Water and Severn Trent in 2022. The plan includes five pledges to transform river water quality across their regions and demonstrates a clear and actionable response to calls for a revival of rivers in England. Central to the pledges is a commitment that work carried out by the two water companies will ensure storm overflows and sewage treatment works do not harm rivers.

The work is due to begin on 7 May and is expected to be completed by the end of the year. As this project will be confined to site, there will be minimal disruption to residents.

For more information about the project, visit: anglianwaterproject.com/West-Mersea.