Water Firm Plans Major Investment To Tackle Pollution

Anglian Water has announced plans to invest around £26m in the Market Harborough area to tackle pollution into rivers.

The significant investment would include major improvements to Water Recycling Centres which serve the town and surrounding areas.

New, state-of-the-art pumping stations would be installed to reduce storm overflows – when sewage flows into rivers during heavy rainfall when drainage systems become overwhelmed.

Anglian Water is responsible for waste water in the Market Harborough area, while Severn Trent Water supplies tap water.

Official figures show there were 244 such incidents last year in and around Market Harborough, with untreated waste water released for a total of nearly 5,000 hours.

The project would also include schemes to reduce phosphorus in the treated water released from the centres across the district.

The River Welland in Market Harborough

An Anglian Water spokesperson said: “Our next business plan includes an investment of around £26 million in Harborough over the next five years.

“If approved by Ofwat, this will enable us to improve Market Harborough Water Recycling Centre and install new, state-of-the-art pumping stations to reduce storm overflows and cater for growth.

“The investment also includes schemes to reduce phosphorous in the treated water released from water recycling centres across the district.”

The majority of rivers in England have high levels of phosphorus, which can be very damaging to water environments, promoting excessive algal growth and depriving fish and other aquatic animals of oxygen.

Leader of Harborough District Council, Cllr Phil Knowles, said: “I welcome the investment that Anglian Water is intending to make in better infrastructure to improve water quality across the Harborough district.”