The river Wye in Herefordshire is set to receive a boost thanks to a £3.6 million investment scheme currently being carried out by Welsh Water.

This forms part of Welsh Water’s investment of £836 million in their wastewater infrastructure by 2025.

In January 2023, the not-for-profit utility company started work on a project to upgrade the wastewater treatment works which it owns and operates in the area.

The treatment works already treats the wastewater it receives from the surrounding area to a high standard, but the planned upgrades will see the treatment process enhanced even further.

The main improvement will be the introduction of a process which will remove phosphates from the treated wastewater. Phosphates can cause algal bloom so by removing them from the treated wastewater, this will help reduce levels in the nearby river Wye – which in turn will benefit the river quality and its aquatic life.

The upgrade work is taking place within the boundary of the treatment works which is located in Kingstone, near Coldstone Cross. The company aims to have the work completed by July 2024.

Welsh Water’s Senior Project Manager, Daniel Purchase said:

“As a company, we are committed to ensuring we protect the environment within our care, and that includes the watercourses we interact with. There are a number of factors which contribute to phosphate levels in watercourses, and we are committed to ensuring we do all that we can to keep our contribution to the absolute minimum. Our significant investment here in Herefordshire reflects this.”