Member Article

£40m water treatment facilities announced for Horsley

New £40m water treatment facilities will be built in Horsley, in the Tyne Valley, Northumbrian Water has announced.

Serving 800,000 customers on Tyneside, improvements are expected to begin in summer 2016 and take about two and a half years to complete.

Customer water supply will be unaffected, as the new facilities to be built alongside the current plant. The upgrade will enhance the treatment processes and ensure the works delivers to ever increasing water quality standards. It will also increase resilience.

Outline planning permission has been agreed in principle by Northumberland County Council, subject to endorsement by the Secretary of State.

Much of the existing treatment works, which was built in the mid 1970’s, is nearing the end of its design life and will be replaced with the latest and additional processes and equipment.

Consultants for the scheme, MWH and Turner & Townsend, have been appointed and Northumbrian Water is currently in the tendering process to appoint joint venture contractors to design and build the new plant.

Once the final design is decided the company will submit further detailed plans for approval which will include access, landscaping, scale, layout and appearance.

Noel Cooper, Head of Water Supply, said: “This work will ensure that Northumbrian Water is best prepared for the future so customers can continue to be able to take for granted plentiful supplies of top quality clean and clear drinking water that tastes good.”