New machinery installed to help remove parasite found in Bucks water supplies

While Thames Water is the primary water and wastewater company serving London and the Thames Valley – including Aylesbury – Affinity Water supplies water and sewerage services to the town. Affinity is responsible for the water supply only, while Thames Water handles both.

Affinity Water is building new infrastructure at its Iver Water Treatment Works next to the M25 to improve the removal of cryptosporidium.

The diarrhoea and vomit-inducing bug, which is found in the poo of infected humans and animals, was detected at the site through sampling in 2020.

Water there was deemed a potential a ‘danger to human health’ and Affinity was ordered by the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) to improve supplies and construct additional treatments works.

Buckinghamshire Council has now given its consent for works at the site, which sits just north of the Great Western Main Line Railway.

These include new transformer compounds, tanks up to 14 metres high, a six metre high gantry crane frame, a new generator and additional hardstanding.

The DWI’s recommendations included improvements to the clarification process, new filters and upgrades to the wastewater treatment plant ‘to improve water recirculating’.

Affinity’s application to the council read: “The proposed development is considered to be essential infrastructure and is required to improve the removal of cryptosporidium as required by the DWI.”

The company’s works are to be installed under ‘permitted development’, and it will submit a full planning application for any works not covered by this permission.