Millions of pounds worth of work by Southern Water to improve Margate Wastewater Pumping Station in Kent has seen two brand new Archimedes Screws installed in another upgrade milestone.

As part of the £9 million project, the new arrivals replace existing mechanisms which were almost 40 years old. They help defy gravity by lifting the sewage from North Thanet from the sewer to the start of the treatment process.

Often in action 24 hours a day, even the largest ones start to wear in time, which effects the efficiency of pumping stations, and mean they eventually require replacing.

Project Manager, Jonathan Yates, said:

“New Archimedes Screws are vital to Margate Wastewater Pumping Station running efficiently and effectively. It was important that they were replaced as part of the increased resilience works underway to ensure a robust and efficient way to move and treat the sewage.”

During the first phase of Southern Water’s extensive resilience scheme at Margate Wastewater Pumping Station the water company installed new screens handling systems to remove solid materials more efficiently for both dry weather and storm flows. The utility also increased the size of the storm channels to manage high flows and improved our monitoring and control systems.

Work on the second phase of the resilience scheme began in 2020 and will be complete by 2025, including the installation of new telemetry to allow for improved control and automation. The site at Margate is now manned 24/7, with critical spares on site to enable Southern Water to respond quickly in the event of a mechanical failure.