Thames Water has just revealed that they have completed their works at Wantage which will stop sewage being released into a rare Oxfordshire chalk stream.
The sewage works will stop raw sewage entering Letcombe Brook, famously depicted in On Leaving Wantage by Sir John Betjeman. The upgrade works have seen Thames Water install a storm-overflow capacity tank and waste water treatment quality improved.
As well as the new overflow tank, three new pumps will make sure that the plant can cope with the increased amount of water during times of heavy rainfall.
The £5.4m project is the latest in a string of projects Thames Water are currently undertaking to improve the water quality fed back into the region’s streams and brooks.
The director of sustainability at Thames Water, Richard Aylard said:
“The works operate well at the moment, but what we’re doing is increasing the capacity to make sure it can continue to do so in the future.
“Treated wastewater makes up part of the flow of Letcombe Brook, so keeping the quality high, means a healthy river downstream.
“You can see this knock-on effect, with all the bugs, birds and other wildlife that are thriving in this globally rare natural habitat.”
The brook is the home of native species such as brook lampreys, water voles and white-clawed crayfish.