County Durham’s River Browney is set to benefit from investment in sewage treatment works across the area and a drive to protect the local environment.
Northumbrian Water has completed work on three projects at its sites in Witton Gilbert, Lanchester and Knitsley, representing £12.7m of investment in enhancing wastewater services and protecting and improving water quality in the river and those watercourses that flow into it.
This forms part of a wider £28m investment aimed at boosting water quality in the Browney, which in turn feeds into the River Wear.
The water company is trialling a catchment-based approach on the Browney, combining natural solutions with treatment works upgrades to deliver improvements for nature and local communities. The focus on nature-based solutions will increase sustainability, by using less chemicals and energy.
The upgrades at Witton Gilbert, Lanchester and Knitsley, follows the completion of upgrades at sewage treatment works (STWs) at Crookhall, near Consett, and Aldin Grange, near Bearpark.
Further ongoing upgrades at Esh Winning STW will add to the protection of the Browney, as will upcoming work at Browney STW.
As well as these ‘end of pipe’ investments at the STWs, Northumbrian Water will work alongside local organisations and land managers to manage pollution from other sources, in an effort to get the river waterbodies to good ecological status.
Charles Harman, Northumbrian Water’s Project Manager at Witton Gilbert, said: “The completion of these upgrades at Witton Gilbert, Lanchester and Knitsley mark another milestone in this approach to protecting the River Browney. Through this holistic, catchment-based approach, we aim to achieve much more than would otherwise be possible, when it comes to improving water quality in the Browney, and the Wear downstream.
“I’d like to thank our customers in the area for their patience while we have carried out this work.”