Southern Water invests nearly £2 million to improve water quality in West Sussex

Southern Water will begin work to increase the storm storage capacity at Balcombe Wastewater Treatment Works. 

The scheme, costing £1.8m, will also help reduce phosphate levels in the water leaving the site and improve water quality on the River Ouse. This will be done through additional ferric dosing equipment.

These levels can add nutrients to the water leading to vegetation growth, reducing them will help improve river conditions. There will also be some maintenance work to replace some existing equipment. 

The storm storage tank means the site will cope better with additional flows during heavy rainfall, this also has an added benefit of reducing storm overflows.  

This is the latest investment in the West Sussex area as other schemes include £28m being spent on expanding Horsham Wastewater Treatment Works. We’re also investing £1.4m at Henfield Wastewater Treatment Works and £4m at Rudgwick Wastewater Treatment Works. 

Project Manager for Southern Water, Robin Woodward, said:  

“We know how important it is to protect and enhance water quality and our precious environment across the areas we serve. This is just one of several such enhancement schemes in West Sussex.  These vital improvements at Balcombe Wastewater Treatment Works are much needed to help improve the quality of the water being discharged into the River Ouse. It will also help reduce the risk of flooding in the area."

Undertaking the project for Southern Water is GTb, a joint venture between Galliford Try Environment and Binnies UK Ltd. 

Patrick Leonard, Project Manager for GTb, added: “We are pleased to be working collaboratively with Southern Water on this project to help improve the water quality and meet new Environment Agency targets.  The work we are doing will help protect the Area of Outstanding Beauty (AONB) around Balcombe.” 

During the scheme there will be some increased construction traffic in the area.