Leominster Wastewater Treatment Works
Transforming Leominster wastewater treatment works into a future-ready facility with cutting-edge phosphorus removal and sustainable design.
Project overview
The Leominster WwTW enhancement project was part of Welsh Water’s National Environmental Programme to improve water quality in the Wye River. With a £12.1 million investment, the works were upgraded to reduce phosphorus levels by 50%, and to accommodate a population growth of 46%.
The improvements included:
- Four tertiary sand filters for advanced nutrient removal
- Upgraded inlet works to handle higher flows
- Three new motor control centre (MCC) kiosks to manage electrical and process automation
- New chemical dosing systems to optimise phosphorus removal and pH (power of hydrogen) balance
The project embraced sustainable design by reusing existing infrastructure, installing modular high-density polyethylene (HDPE) chambers, and using digital tools like 3D Building Information Modelling (BIM) to plan and coordinate construction.
Despite challenges like the high groundwater levels and working close to a live railway line, the team used innovative construction techniques to keep the project safe and delivered on time
They also gave back to the local community through volunteering, school visits, and environmental projects.
Fun fact: Next to a live railway and above a high water table, the project reused disused sludge drying beds and old Dortmund rectangular/pyramidal standby primary settlement tanks (PST) to reduce the carbon footprint.