Shrewsbury sewage treatment plant gets huge investment to boost river health and support growing population
A sewage water treatment plant in Shrewsbury has received a multi-million pound investment for significant upgrades to improve river health and meet the demands of the town's growing population.
Severn Trent Water has recently pumped £6.2 million into its Monkmoor Sewage Treatment Works to improve the quality of treated effluent that is released into the River Severn.
Investment has seen the installation of cutting-edge Membrane Aerated Biofilm Reactors (MABR), which help the company to treat more wastewater without the need to expand the site, and also more effectively clean it.
The technology is the first of its kind to be used in the country, and has been installed as part of efforts to prepare the site for the county town's increase in population.
Severn Trent said the new technology helps to ensure that water which is returned to the watercourse is the "closest state possible to the river".
Project manager Clair Green said: "We’re really excited by this new installation because of the innovative technology it uses. This investment into the Sewage Treatment Works at Monkmoor has been incredibly beneficial.
"It’s a pioneering way to treat wastewater that comes in while increasing the capacity of the site at the same time. It recognises the future population growth in the area, and Severn Trent’s commitment to reducing the impact on the region’s rivers."
The MABR units were integrated into existing infrastructure at Monkmoor, enabling the site's capacity to be increased without the need to build more tanks.
Severn Trent added that the system is also more energy-efficient, cleaner and a quieter way to treat wastewater.
Emma Paterson-Stephens, process engineer for contractors Mott MacDonald Bentley who delivered the upgrades, added: "The installation of this new system at Monkmoor Sewage Treatment Works has really improved the way we can treat wastewater, and we’re proud to have been able to deliver this for Severn Trent.
"It really is an innovative technology and has not been used at such a large scale before in the UK."
The Monkmoor Sewage Treatment Works serves a catchment of more than 115,000 people in Shrewsbury, and this is expected to grow significantly in the next 10 years.
The sewage water plant treats a combination of domestic and trade waste. It includes four storm tanks that temporarily store excess rainwater, alongside primary settlement tanks that separate settleable solids from wastewater, Activated Sludge Process (ASP) lanes, further final settlement tanks and a sludge treatment facility where electricity is created.
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