£6m investment for works set to boost water quality
THE area around a wastewater treatment works will soon see more environmental protection, reduced flood risks and improved river and bathing water quality after a multimillion-pound investment was announced.
Pen y Bont works in Ogmore-by-Sea will see an investment of over £6m to improve its performance and energy efficiency, with the money intended to help the area for decades to come.
Work by Welsh Water will see new equipment installed to screen the waste entering the works, and new ultraviolet technology to treat the wastewater more effectively before it is returned to the local environment, which will improve the quality of local river and bathing water.
Essential work will also be taking place on and below the access bridge leading to the treatment works.
Capital delivery project manager, Anthony McKenna, said on Tuesday: “At Welsh Water we are committed to investing in our wastewater network for the benefit of our customers and the environment.
“Our work in Ogmoreby-Sea represents a major investment to improve the wastewater network and will deliver an environmental boost to the local area.”
Due to the difficulty in working on a bridge, Welsh Water will be carrying out the work in phases.
The first phase will take place on the bridge and is expected to start by the middle of July. The work, which will involve resurfacing the bridge to protect it against the weather, is dependent on weather conditions, however, it is anticipated that the entire scheme will be complete by the end of summer 2018.
The company said the work will not impact on the wastewater service to local people and businesses.
Mr McKenna added: “We appreciate that this kind of work can cause some inconvenience and we will be liaising closely with local businesses and residents regarding the work to ensure we carry out the work with the least disruption possible.
“We take communicating with our customers very seriously. We will be issuing regular updates through the post to customers in the area and we will also be holding a drop-in information session to discuss the work with local residents.”
That session will be held on June 26 at the Pelican in her Piety pub between 2pm and 7pm.
Local MP Alun Cairns said: “It is important to consider how significant a difference an investment of this value can make in a rural area such as Ogmore-by-Sea.
“I look forward to maintaining a communicative relationship with Welsh Water throughout the time during which the work will be taking place, to ensure that all work is carried out with the least amount of inconvenience possible to the residents.”