Wastewater

We aim to provide a reliable and efficient service for collecting, treating and disposing of wastewater, and to ensure that any problems that occur with the public sewerage system are dealt with efficiently and without unnecessary delay.

The system of pipes used to collect and carry rain, wastewater and trade waste away for treatment and disposal is called the sewerage or the wastewater system.

There are three types of sewerage systems:

Foul sewers – carry waste water, that is water that has been used for cooking and washing, waste from toilets and from trade premises to our wastewater treatment works;

Surface water, or Storm sewers – carry rainwater from roofs, paved areas, pavements and roads. Surface water sewers generally flow into streams, rivers or watercourses;

Combined sewer – this is a single pipe system which carries both wastewater and surface water to our wastewater treatment works. These are often found in older town centre systems. Single pipe systems are no longer designed or constructed.

Sewers carry both domestic and industrial wastewater to our wastewater treatment works, where it is treated and safely disposed of in accordance with statutory requirements. After treatment, the cleaned water goes to a nearby watercourse or the sea and must comply with statutory conditions set by Environment and Heritage Service (EHS).

To ensure that stringent standards are met, EHS regularly monitors and tests the effluent quality. The results of these tests are recorded in a public register. You can arrange to inspect this register by contacting EHS.

Sewage sludge is produced as a by-product of the sewage treatment process. This sludge is further treated and disposed off through incineration and landfill, again in accordance with statutory requirements and approval by the EHS.

We conduct our operations with the aim of avoiding or minimising any problems to the public and the environment. If you believe that any of our activities are causing you a problem, please let us know by calling us on Waterline: 0845 744 0088.

Please remember, many items flushed down the toilet contain plastic or other insoluble materials. These are very difficult to deal with at our treatment works. A better environmental option is for you to place them in a bag and then in the bin, rather than flush them away.

river

Protecting our 
Environment

Wastewater is collected, 
cleaned and safely 
returned to nearby rivers 
and the sea.