20 August 2007
A multi-million pound upgrade of Stockport wastewater treatment works is now up-and-running.
Around £36 million has been spent on improving the plant, which will in turn improve the River Mersey.
The works, which are based in Heathside Park Road, Cheadle Heath, serve a population of around 152,000 people.
From now until the end of September wastewater will be gently diverted from the neighbouring old works, parts of which date back to the 1920s, to the new, state-of-the-art equipment.
Andrew Kennedy, project manager, said: "This work takes wastewater from thousands of homes and businesses, treats it and then safely returns it to the River Mersey.
"Once these new works are up-and-running the water being returned to the river will be the cleanest it has ever been, which is great news."
He added: "These works carry out a very important function - taking society's waste - and we will now be able to do this while having a smaller impact on the environment."
Work on the wastewater treatment works began last year and is expected to finish before the end of year, four months ahead of schedule.
The improvements include the building of new final settlement tanks and an aerator building.
If anyone living nearby would like to find out more about the new works, please call 08456 02 04 06.
The Stockport project is part of United Utilities' £2.9 billion investment programme to improve water quality and sewage treatment across the North West between 2005 and 2010.