Wessex Water is investing £50 million to improve and rebuild its Durleigh Water Treatment Centre near Bridgwater.

The water treatment centre has come to the end of its operational life, and the reconstruction forms an essential part of Wessex Water’s long-term water supply strategy for Somerset.

Residents will have seen work being carried out in the fields opposite the water treatment centre, with a compound set up for the on-site team and installation of a footbridge for site personnel crossing Enmore Road.

A drop-in session for the local community was held at Enmore village hall in November 2019, with another planned this May to provide an update and further information about the scheme.

Work is due to run until spring 2022 and is progressing well, with demolition now complete and major groundworks underway. This will be followed by construction of new buildings and specialist equipment.

Wessex Water’s Simon Osborne, who is coordinating the work, said: “We recently took delivery of five of nine carbon filter vessels that will be installed at the site to improve our water treatment processes.

“These essential improvements will ensure we continue to deliver high-quality water to our customers.

“We’re doing everything we can to minimise disruption to the local community and our impact on the environment.”