Wildlife living in the Barden Mill Stream is enjoying a cleaner environment after Southern Water completed a £2 million environmental scheme to upgrade its Bidborough Wastewater Treatment Works in Kent.

Millions of grains of sand poured into new filters at Southern Water’s Bidborough Wastewater Treatment Works in Kent now help to bring cleaner water to the stream. More than 35 tonnes of sand were released into the filters to provide an extra treatment stage to remove tiny waste particles ensuring the water into Barden Mill Stream reaches high European standards.

Gary Sayers, Southern Water’s Senior Project Engineer, said: “Improving the quality of the water we recycle back to the environment is an important responsibility for water companies and we are dedicated to continue with improvements such as this across the region.

“By using specialist treatment methods, such as sand filters we can ensure the water we recycle back to the environment reaches the highest standards.”

The improvement work was carried out by Southern Water’s contractor 4Delivery (4D) and completed in January 2008. The 4D  consortium  (United Utilities, Costain and MWH)is currently carrying out £700 million worth of environmental improvement and water quality schemes for Southern Water across Kent, Sussex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight between 2005 and 2010 under AMP4.