Anglian Water’s @one Alliance has completed its upgrades to its water recycling centre (WRC) off Station Road in Ivinghoe which will reduce the risk of flooding and pollution in the area and strengthen the water treatment process.

The £4.2 million project includes upgrades to the equipment at the WRC which removes phosphorous from wastewater, as well as installing a brand-new storm tank which will be able to store an additional 380,000 litres of rainwater during extreme weather and flooding.

Phosphorous is widely used in soaps and cleaning products but can be harmful to wildlife when it reaches rivers and other watercourses. The investment at Ivinghoe WRC will strengthen the current water recycling process and remove even more phosphorous from wastewater. This equipment will help remove harmful algae growth and improve water quality in local watercourses.

The upgrade specifically aims to increase resilience across the East of England, which is likely to see the impacts of the climate emergency – like drought and flooding – more keenly than anywhere else in the UK. It forms part of the company’s Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP), a programme of environmental investment which is taking place between 2020-2025.

Anglian’s WINEP totals over £800 million of work which is specifically targeted at protecting the environment and improving river water quality. It is the largest WINEP plan of any water company, with double the number of commitments made and delivered in the previous five-year period.

Sarah Lovitt, Customer Experience Coordinator said: “We know how important rivers and the wider environment are to our customers and local communities. We’re really pleased that this scheme will help to protect nearby rivers and increase our resilience to climate change, by helping us make sure the wastewater is treated to an even higher standard than usual before it’s returned to the natural environment.

“As a result of climate change, we’re seeing more bouts of extreme weather, sudden downpours and rising sea levels, so it’s important that our sites are prepared to process higher volumes of stormwater and protect the environment. That’s why we’ve committed through our Get River Positive programme that our water recycling processes will not harm rivers, with schemes like this one in Ivinghoe.”

Get River Positive was launched by Anglian Water and Severn Trent in 2022. The plan includes five pledges to transform river water quality across their regions and demonstrates a clear and actionable response to calls for a revival of rivers in England. Central to the pledges is a commitment that work carried out by the two water companies will ensure storm overflows and sewage treatment works do not harm rivers.