Sewage Works Upgrades
Last reviewed: 27.8.2012 - 8.47pm
Riverside Sewage Treatment Works
We are carrying out an £85m upgrade at Riverside Sewage Works in east London as part of a major scheme to help improve water quality in the River Thames and produce renewable energy on site.
We're improving the quality of treated effluent that Riverside returns to the Thames.
The project will involve providing additional treatment processes to improve the quality of treated effluent returned to the River Thames and to meet new Environment Agency standards. This will help boost oxygen levels in the tidal stretches of the river, improving water quality and habitats for fish.
On top of this, the plant will be equipped to turn solid waste, left behind after treatment, into enough renewable energy to power the entire site. This will be done through anaerobic digestion, where solid waste is broken down in enclosed tanks in the absence of oxygen. The process generates biogas which can be used to generate renewable energy to use on site.
To ensure no additional odour on site, we will install tried and tested technology as well as covering up key parts of the plant.
We will also build a new wetland area at Riverside to attract species such as water voles and birds as well as enhance the existing lagoon, including building bat boxes and planting trees and shrubs.
The upgrade at Riverside, located in Rainham, is due for completion in 2012.
