Treatment and Technology
From sewage to ‘sugar’ – United Utilities achieves UK first
United Utilities has achieved a UK first at Blackburn Wastewater Treatment Works by successfully trialling a groundbreaking technology to extract naturally occurring glucose from sewage.
The process captures toilet paper from untreated sewage and breaks it down into a glucose...
Waste autopsy reveals scale of sewer blockage challenge
Thames Water Utilities and the Port of London Authority have collaborated on a recent waste autopsy in an area of the capital now known as ‘wet wipe Island’.
Research Centre (WRc) which examined 30 kg of the 114 tonnes of...
Bluey and Bandit sniff out hidden pollution
Cocker spaniel brothers Bluey and Bandit are giving Wessex Water a helping paw in the quest to tackle sewer connections.
The dogs belong to the company’s award-winning canine unit, using their renowned sense of smell to prevent wastewater entering watercourses...
A wastewater treatment solution for a critical airport application
When a leading utilities and services provider was commissioned to create an environmentally critical application for one of the world’s busiest airports, they collaborated with water-treatment expert SEKO for a failsafe solution.
The European airport handles in excess of 80...
Green Recovery Programme invests in nature-based upgrades at treatment works
Severn Trent has completed sustainable upgrades at Hungarton sewage treatment works in Leicestershire.
The £2.4 million project is part of Severn Trent’s Green Recovery programme.
To comply with new standards set out in the Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP), the...
Norfolk water recycling centre gets major upgrade
Anglian Water has installed specialist wastewater treatment equipment in a major water recycling centre (WRC) upgrade.
The work was needed to ensure dry weather flow remained compliant at Horning Knackers Wood WRC in Norfolk.
River flooding and groundwater infiltration into the...
New wastewater technologies to be tried and tested
A pilot plant to assess the best combination of technologies for micropollutant removal from wastewater is due to start operating at Cranfield University.
The plant – a first for the UK – comes as UK water companies seek to invest...
Over 80,000 plants bring natural water treatment system to life
A new integrated constructed wetland (ICW) to further treat wastewater has been completed at Staplefield Wastewater Treatment Works in West Sussex.
More than 80,000 native wetland plants, shrubs and trees have been planted on the wetland as part of a...
Vital anti-flood upgrades for water recycling centre
Anglian Water’s @one Alliance has completed important upgrades to a water recycling centre (WRC) in Towcester to help protect the environment from flooding and support regional expansion.
Located in a rapidly growing region, Towcester’s WRC supports the community by treating...
New UK REACH compliance enters crucial registration phase for water companies
The UK REACH compliance process for ozone use has progressed to the substance registration phase.
Curio Water is assisting UK water companies with the preparation and submission of their registration dossiers.
Since the establishment of UK REACH on 1 January 2021,...
The pros and cons of sustainable wastewater treatment
Chris Payne, co-founder & director of PureTec Separations Ltd, examines the realistic challenges and compelling opportunities of sustainable wastewater treatment, and why the paradigm shift from disposal to asset creation is reshaping industry economics.
The conversation around sustainable wastewater treatment...
Expanding Net Zero Partnership welcomes Gruppo CAP
Italian green utilities group, Gruppo CAP has become the fourth organisation to join the groundbreaking international Net Zero Partnership.
The Net Zero Partnership was formed in 2022 by Severn Trent, Australia’s Melbourne Water and Denmark’s Aarhus Vand.
Already recognised as leaders...
Yorkshire Water works exceeds phosphorous targets
New environmental discharge limits set for phosphorus have led to Yorkshire Water adopting a ballasted clarification system at its largest treatment works, writes Duncan Wildgoose, Xylem UK.
Knostrop wastewater treatment works (WwTW) is Yorkshire Water’s largest treatment site, serving a population equivalent...
Shropshire works includes MABR system in UK first
Severn Trent’s Monkmoor Sewage Treatment Works in Shropshire has received a significant upgrade to support the needs of Shrewsbury’s growing population and support the company’s carbon reduction ambitions.
The £6.2 million project involved the installation of Membrane Aerated Biofilm Reactor...
Water sector needs one voice on PFAS and emerging contaminants
Increased public awareness of micropollutants and emerging contaminants in wastewater and drinking water, along with tougher scrutiny from regulators, means the water sector needs a more cohesive response, argues Lila Thompson, chief executive, British Water.
Finding consensus on how micropollutants...
Rethinking resilience: unlocking hidden hydraulic capacity in our wastewater networks
By Mike Williamson, Managing Director, Water Services, Adler & Allan
Despite increased investments and regulations, the UK’s ageing wastewater infrastructure faces challenges from climate change and population growth. While proactive sewer rehabilitation helps maintain parts of the network, factors such...
Innovation drives efficiency at Five Fords WwTW
Alison Miles, UK & Ireland Sales & Innovation Manager at NIVUS Limited
Engineers working on a project in North Wales have employed innovative techniques to improve wastewater treatment efficiency at a fraction of the cost of traditional methods, saving an...
Consent granted for Cambridge wastewater treatment plant relocation
The government has approved Anglian Water’s plan for its Cambridge Waste Water Treatment Plant Relocation Project (CWWTPR).
Funding was allocated to Anglian Water and the city council back in March 2019 towards their bid to submit a Development Consent Order...
Optimising Effluent Treatment in Wastewater: Sonoco Stainland’s Innovative Approach
By Oliver Lang, Sunny Patel and Norbert Rademacher, Hach
Sonoco’s Stainland Board Mill close to Halifax has revolutionised its effluent treatment process. By implementing a real-time chemical dosing system, the mill has significantly enhanced its wastewater management, ensuring environmental compliance...
South East Water chooses partner for new digital mission
South East Water (SEW) has announced the new partner for its digital change programme.
While the water industry has traditionally been slow to adopt new technology, SEWÂ aims to buck that trend with an ambitious five-year digital transformation strategy.
The company is...
Innovation drives efficiency at Five Fords WwTW growth mitigation scheme
Engineers working on a project in North Wales have employed innovative techniques to improve wastewater treatment efficiency at a fraction of the cost of traditional methods, saving an estimated £3.5 million. Alison Miles from NIVUS, an instrumentation partner in...
Protecting wastewater equipment from ragging is all down to the application
For many people working within the wastewater industry, the ragging of pumps and other equipment is an all too familiar sight – one which has been steadily increasing in recent years, and sadly doesn’t look to abate, as wet...
Lining repair ‘first of its kind’ in UK
Installing an ‘earthquake liner’ on England’s south coast is a ‘seismic step forward’ for sewer repairs in the UK, says Wessex Water.
The utility company teamed up with industry specialists to devise a ground-breaking solution for a trunk sewer pipe...
Enhanced treatment can speed-up spill reduction
Enhanced wastewater treatment can reduce sewage overflows to the environment in a sustainable way, says Dominic Hurd, of ACWA Services.
Public and political pressure on water companies to address the issue of sewage spills means overflows are no longer solely...
Ensuring flow compliance at Fowey sewage works
Small wastewater treatment works (WwTWs) frequently present significant physical challenges for instrumentation and control engineers.
However, a compliant flow measurement facility has been installed at a plant in Fowey, in the south-west of England, by a partnership involving a water...
Metrohm’s Process Analytics Solutions for Waste Water Treatment Plants
Waste Water Treatment Plants (WWTPs) face significant challenges in managing nutrient levels, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus, to comply with increasingly stringent environmental regulations.
Excessive concentrations of these nutrients can cause eutrophication, leading to harmful algal blooms and disrupting aquatic ecosystems....
The ultimate PC pump for the wastewater industry
By Wayne Carrington, National Accounts Manager, Vogelsang
Wastewater treatment plants that use large amounts of power depend on technology and machines that don’t add to their already high energy consumption. But they can’t afford to install and run equipment that...
HUBER Technology Waste Water Solutions
HUBER Technology is a leading supplier of stainless steel wastewater treatment equipment.
We offer high quality innovative solutions for all your wastewater requirements for both Municipal and Industrial markets. HUBER have a large and diverse product range and a wealth...
Waste water treatment – reducing cost, increasing efficiencies
By Daniel Tritton, Technical Sales Engineer, MB Air Systems
Wastewater treatment is generally something we take for granted as we empty the bath or flush the loo. That is until water utility companies hit the headlines for pollution incidents or...
Selwood solution resolves wastewater emergency at Chelmsford WRC
Anglian Water’s Chelmsford Wastewater Recycling Centre (WRC) was operating normally until a problem with their Archimedes screws arose. These screws are responsible for transporting Return Activated Sludge (RAS) from a lower chamber to a high chamber to be treated...
