Major upgrade at Leyland Wastewater Treatment Works is almost complete

A three-year project to upgrade Leyland’s Wastewater Treatment Works is nearing completion.

As part of its commitment to improving river quality, United Utilities has carried out a major upgrade at the treatment works. The project which began in 2022 will play an important role in improving water quality in the River Lostock.

Innovative new processes which reduce phosphorous and other nutrients from the water that is released from the facility at the end of the treatment process have been introduced as well as new equipment that speeds up the treatment process.  Additional storm water storage has also been introduced.

The £29m upgrade will enable the facility to meet growing demand as the population in Leyland and surrounding towns continues to grow. The increase in capacity and the introduction of more storm water storage will reduce the number of times that storm overflows operate in periods of heavy rain.

Construction work is nearing completion and the focus is now on testing and commissioning the newly installed equipment.  

Rob Moore, Head of Wastewater for United Utilities in Lancashire explained: “This project has transformed Leyland Wastewater Treatment Works by increasing capacity and enhancing the treatment processes.

“We know our customers want to see cleaner rivers and fewer occasions when untreated sewage is released into the environment. This upgrade will play an important role in delivering that. It means we can now treat sewage more quickly, we can store more sewage in times of heavy rainfall, and we’ve upgraded the treatment process so that the treated water that is released back into the River Lostock is a higher standard.”

Improvements include the introduction of a new technology which enhances the biological treatment processes, removing more nutrients and improving the quality of the final effluent.

The Leyland upgrade is part of a wider project to improve water quality in River Lostock which is a tributary of the River Ribble.

During the last five years, United Utilities has invested in projects across Lancashire ranging from infrastructure improvements to riverside tree planting schemes, which are enhancing water quality in the River Ribble and its tributaries.