Wessex Water has completed a £17 million two-year project – the upgrade of its Keynsham Water Recycling Centre which will help to protect the environment and meet the demands of population growth in Keynsham is now up and running.

The major enhancement of the site at the northern edge of the town is fully in service after sister company YTL Construction UK concluded the scheme, which got under way in 2023.

Work drew to a close earlier this summer, followed by a period of commissioning and testing at the Broadmead Lane site, significantly improving the ability to treat sewage from an expanding population and safeguarding nearby watercourses such as the River Avon.

The vital investment has increased the site’s treatment capacity by more than 40 per cent – enabling up to 208 litres of sewage per second to be safely processed before being returned to the environment.

Additional equipment, such as new flow measurement processes for removing phosphorous from water, a 17-metre diameter primary settlement tank and upgraded power and a supply generator have also been introduced at the centre.

In addition, a 15-metre diameter storm tank, capable of holding more than 300,000 litres of excess water, will also play a key role in protecting the environment by reducing discharges of diluted untreated wastewater.

Where the network is overwhelmed by the arrival of rainwater during heavy storms, the water will be held in the tank before being returned for later safe treatment and return to the environment.

Wessex Water’s director of water recycling Ashlea Lane said:

“The completion of this project reflects our commitment towards protecting the environment while supporting the growth of communities like Keynsham.

“By increasing treatment capacity and introducing new technologies to reduce pollution, we’re ensuring that this infrastructure is fit for the future, continues to meet the highest standards and is part of our wider ambition to improve water quality across the region.”

YTL Construction senior programme manager Kelvin Brick added:

“This was an important project, with our team working hard to plan and install important new equipment to a confined site, ensuring the centre will be fit for purpose as Keynsham continues to grow.’’

The completion of the investment comes in advance of the finish of a two-year £35 million expansion of the water recycling centre at nearby Saltford, which will boost the capacity of the Mead Lane site to treat sewage from the city of Bath and the surrounding area and is due to finish early next year.

A further £820 million spend is being proposed to improve river and coastal water quality, including removing more phosphorus, ammonia and nitrogen from wastewater – nutrients that can harm aquatic ecosystems by promoting excessive algae growth and depleting oxygen levels.

Wessex Water is part of the YTL UK Group – which includes YTL Developments, YTL Construction, GENeco, EnTrade, Water2Business, Wessex Searches, and Turnbull.