Northumbrian Water is trialling the use of new environmentally friendly buildings as part of treatment works upgrades that will help protect North East rivers.
Working with specialists at its partner firms Aquazone and Ross-Shire Engineering (RSE), the water company’s first RSE Timber Modular building has rolled off the production line.
The timber unit will house equipment to aid the treatment process, delivering environmental benefits over traditional kiosks that are made from glass reinforced plastic.
A first for the industry in England, the timber building will be installed at Willington Sewage Treatment Works (STW) in County Durham, as part of a £6.7 million project to upgrade the site and improve water quality in the River Wear.
The unit is currently being fitted out by the team at Aquazone, before installation at Willington in 2026.
A second unit will be installed at Stressholme STW, near Darlington, as part of a £25.6 million investment that will protect and improve water quality in the River Tees. Project planning work is currently underway to enhance the quality of the treated water returning to the environment via the river.
Both projects are being delivered by Northumbrian Water’s partner, Costain.
Dean Thompson, Project Manager at Northumbrian Water, said:
“This is a really exciting first for us, and for the industry in England.
“The environmental benefits include replacing more carbon-intensive materials, as well as the carbon storage qualities of timber – 1m³ of timber can store a tonne of CO².
“Additionally, this innovative change could support sustainable forestry and protect biodiversity. We’re really excited for these trials, to really understand the future benefits and potential of making a switch in more sites, with many more treatment work upgrades to come as we invest £1.7bn over the next five years in projects to benefit the environment.”
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