Safeguarding the River Parrett

Credit: Wessex Water

Wessex Water has completed a multimillion-pound project to help safeguard the health of the River Parrett, by reducing the impact of harmful phosphorus.

The £11 million investment at Langport Water Recycling Centre has helped fund upgraded equipment to manage the volume of nutrients – commonly found in household products, farm slurries, fertilisers, and subsequent sewage – resulting from a growing population.

Shifting more than 8,000 tonnes of earth to pave the way for the improvements, the 18-month project continues Wessex Water’s commitment to protect rivers and the environment in Somerset, with more than £40 million invested in the last few years.

Phosphorus can damage plants and animals by causing algae to grow and deplete oxygen in our rivers, but Wessex Water is aiming to invest £820 million towards upgrading its sites and removing 1,550 tonnes of these nutrients from rivers and coastal waters over the next 5 years.

Find out more via Wessex Water’s Protecting the Parrett page.