Major improvement to Rotherwas sewage works

A £200,000 scheme to reduce odour nuisance in Hereford is due to be completed on Wednesday (June 6) when a large steel and glassfibre reinforced products cowl (GRP) is lowered onto the sewage works at Rotherwas.

Herefordshire Council has been pressing hard for odour improvements at the Rotherwas sewage treatment works in Hereford and working to put in place an action plan that has been agreed by both Welsh Water and residents group “RAWW” (Residents and Welsh Water Liaison Group).

This week will see a crane lower a large steel and GRP cowl onto the Rotherwas tower. The cowl forms part of the odour abatement system to prevent unpleasant smells from the sewage works escaping into the atmosphere.

Andrew Tector, head of environmental health and trading standards for Herefordshire Council, said: “The Rotherwas tower had been highlighted as one of the most significant sources of odour from the two city sewage works and we have every belief that this substantial improvement work will reduce the smells.

“The odour abatement scheme is believed to cost in the region of £200,000 and is thought to be the largest of its type in the UK.

“We are also taking every effort to ensure that two follow-up schemes are completed at the Eign works over the coming months and will press for these to be commissioned before the sewage works is at full capacity when seasonal effluent comes through in the autumn. We will keep the public informed of the progress of these,” Mr Tector added.

R P McLellan, vice-chairman of RAWW (Residents and Welsh Water Liaison Group), said: “As a resident affected by the odour nuisance I am glad to see the completion of the project at Rotherwas, as this is the culmination of many months of discussion between Welsh Water and RAWW.

“I hope that this work, together with the other planned improvements at the Eign site, will significantly reduce the odours and I look forward to congratulating Welsh Water on the completion of this major effort,” he added.

Andrew Bowen, Welsh Water’s regional investment manager, said: “We have been committed to working with all interested parties to develop and implement a long term solution to the odour issues at our Eign works. We are delighted that we are now nearing completion of this improvement work.”

Ends

Press release: June 1 2007