£2.5m plan to improve river quality and protect wildlife in Leighton Buzzard

Anglian Water is upgrading its Water Recycling Centre (WRC) off Wing Road in Cublington – with work set to start this month.

The work includes installing new equipment which will remove phosphorous from wastewater, improving river water quality nearby.

Phosphorous is widely used in soaps and cleaning products but can be harmful to wildlife when it reaches rivers and other watercourses. The investment at Cublington WRC, which is worth more than £2.5 million, includes new equipment to strengthen the current water recycling process and remove even more phosphorous from wastewater. This equipment will help remove harmful algae growth and improve water quality in local watercourses.

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Work is due to start on site this month and is expected to finish by summer 2024. As the upgrades are taking place on site at the WRC, Anglian Water customers in the area should not experience any disruption during the scheme.

Regan Harris, spokesperson for Anglian Water, said: “We’re really pleased that these upgrades to our Water Recycling Centre in Cublington will help to protect nearby rivers and increase our resilience to climate change, by helping us make sure the wastewater is treated to an even higher standard than usual before it’s returned to the natural environment.

“We know how important rivers and the wider environment are to our customers and local communities. That’s why we’ve committed through our Get River Positive programme that our water recycling processes will not harm rivers.”

Get River Positive includes five pledges to transform river water quality.