Anglian Water finishes £4.2m upgrade in Ivinghoe to reduce risk of flooding and pollution

The company's @one Alliance has completed the work at its water recycling centre (WRC) off Station Road, which aims to "strengthen" the water treatment process.

The £4.2 million project includes upgrades to equipment that removes phosphorous from wastewater, as well as the installation of a brand-new storm tank which will be able to store an additional 380,000 litres of rainwater during extreme weather and flooding.

Anglian Water stated: "Phosphorous is widely used in soaps and cleaning products but can be harmful to wildlife when it reaches rivers and other watercourses. The investment at Ivinghoe will strengthen the current water recycling process and remove even more phosphorous from wastewater. This equipment will help remove harmful algae growth and improve water quality in local watercourses.

"The upgrade specifically aims to increase resilience across the East of England, which is likely to see the impacts of the climate emergency – like drought and flooding – more keenly than anywhere else in the UK."

The work forms part of the company’s Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP), a programme of environmental investment which is taking place between 2020 and 2025.

Anglian’s WINEP totals over £800 million of work which is specifically targeted at protecting the environment and improving river water quality - and it says is the "largest WINEP plan of any water company", with double the number of commitments made and delivered in the previous five-year period.

Sarah Lovitt, customer experience coordinator said: “As a result of climate change, we’re seeing more bouts of extreme weather, sudden downpours and rising sea levels, so it’s important that our sites are prepared to process higher volumes of stormwater and protect the environment. That’s why we’ve committed through our Get River Positive programme that our water recycling processes will not harm rivers, with schemes like this one in Ivinghoe.”

Get River Positive was launched by Anglian Water and Severn Trent in 2022.

The plan includes five pledges to transform river water quality across their regions.

Anglian concluded: "Central to the pledges is a commitment that work carried out by the two water companies will ensure storm overflows and sewage treatment works do not harm rivers."