Southern Water has completed more than £13 million of upgrades at its wastewater treatment works in Forest Green, Balcombe and Ashington, West Sussex, to enhance water quality in local rivers.

The schemes are designed to improve conditions in the North River, River Ouse and River Adur. Each site now meets a higher environmental standard, aimed at reducing nutrient levels and safeguarding sensitive watercourses across the surrounding catchments.

The programme delivered new chemical dosing equipment, including ferric dosing, to remove more phosphorus from treated wastewater; additional monitors to check effluent quality before discharge; enhanced treatment processes to support better river health; increased storm tank capacity at Balcombe and Ashington; and a boost to Ashington’s treatment capacity from 23 litres per second to 30.7 litres per second.

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Project manager Robin Woodward for Southern Water said: "These upgrades are an important step in improving the quality of water entering local rivers and streams in West Sussex. By removing more phosphorus and strengthening our treatment processes, we're helping to protect sensitive environments and support healthier waterways."

The work was carried out by GTb on Southern Water’s behalf. It forms part of the company's largest-ever investment plans, with more than £8.5bn set to be spent to improve the environment, modernise infrastructure and provide a more reliable service for customers.