United Utilities to invest £230m in Lancashire water works
Key Highlights
- United Utilities is planning a £230m investment at two of its wastewater treatment works in Lancashire.
- The investment will improve water quality in the River Douglas.
United Utilities is planning a £230m investment at its Wigan and Skelmersdale treatment works in Lancashire. The works are between the villages of Hoscar and Parbold, and the investment will improve water quality in the River Douglas.
The water company is developing the scheme to ensure it can meet the demands of a growing population in the area, while also responding to tighter environmental standards. At both sites, new technology will be installed to ensure wastewater is treated to higher standards before it is returned to the environment. This will help reduce levels of phosphorus, ammonia and iron that enter the River Douglas in treated wastewater.
The new treatment processes will increase capacity at both works and, together with the refurbishment of existing storm tanks, will help reduce the number of times storm overflows operate during periods of heavy rainfall.
Wigan wastewater treatment works will see the installation of the UK’s largest Membrane Bioreactor (MBR). The high-performance filtration technology produces cleaner water more consistently and provides the additional capacity needed to support long term growth in the area.
United Utilities has already announced £50m of investment at six sites across Wigan to create additional storage that will help cut storm overflow operations in the area.
Work is expected to begin later this year, with all the improvements due to be delivered by 2030.
The scheme forms part of United Utilities’ largest program of water and wastewater investment for a century across the North West. The company is investing more than £13bn before 2030 to protect and enhance over 500 km of rivers, lakes, and bathing waters, while safeguarding drinking water supplies for millions of customers.