County Durham’s River Gaunless and Hummerbeck have been given a boost from a project aimed at improving their water quality.
Northumbrian Water has invested £4.3m in upgrades to its New Moors Sewage Treatment Works (STW), near Evenwood Gate, west of Bishop Auckland.
The project was carried out as part of the water company’s Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP), and has seen enhancements to the treatment process that remove phosphorous from the final, treated effluent that returns to the environment.
This will help to protect and enhance water quality in the two watercourses.
During the work, Northumbrian Water supported a Wear Rivers Trust-led project to further enhance the two watercourses, with more than £14,000 of funding supplied through the water company’s Bluespaces programme. The funding will support improvements to 4.3km of accessible environment along and by the watercourses.
The work on the STW was carried out by the water company’s partner, Galliford Try. Following completion of finishing touches to the enhancements, and reinstatement of the working areas, the project is now complete.
Dean Thompson, Northumbrian Water’s Project Manager, said: “This has been an important project to support improvements to the Hummerbeck and River Gaunless, as well as protecting the resilience of the services New Moors STW provides.
“To have been able to contribute to the work being carried out by Wear Rivers Trust through our Bluespaces programme, has been a real added benefit, because it means a more holistic approach is being taken to the environment along these two watercourses.”