A £30M refit at one of the south’s most important water treatment sites is closing in on completion later this year. 

Large-scale enhancements at Poole Water Recycling Centre’s bioresources facility were started in 2021 by Wessex Water. 

Bosses say it will ensure the by-products of the water treatment process continue to meet the “highest environmental standards”, reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. 

Equipment has been upgraded to ensure that sludge produced as part of the sewage treatment process is safely disposed of at the site, which also treats sludge imported from other treatment sites.  

Among the outcomes of the treatment process is biogas that is used onsite for the production of renewable energy and nutrient-rich biofertilisers.  

Work on the near four-year project is expected to finish in December, making way for a programme of commissioning and testing which will continue until next June. 

Programme manager Joe Edmunds said: “We’re refurbishing Poole bioresources centre to ensure it meets high treatment standards for many years to come. 

“It has reliable digestion capacity to treat up to 450 cubic metres of sludge per day. In addition, it will provide the opportunity to maximise the generation of renewable energy. 

“We’re pleased that this complex project is close to completion after successfully tackling a series of challenges such as the Covid pandemic, Brexit and the Ukraine conflict that affected the availability of raw materials. 

“This refurbishment will mean the plant is safer to maintain and operate, providing reliability and certainty of sludge treatment in the south and better opportunity for renewable power generation.’’ 

Construction work has included complete refurbishment of the sludge treatment and digestion plant and includes a new odour treatment plant. 

It continues Wessex Water’s significant investment in water treatment processes in Dorset, with another £30 million investment taking place at the Holdenhurst Water Recycling Centre on the outskirts of Bournemouth. 

Wessex Water has also developed an artificial intelligence app.

This provides real-time monitoring from Bournemouth and Boscombe, which gives a better understanding of current water status.

People will then be able to make more informed decisions when using bathing waters for recreational use.