Northern Ireland firm Farrans Construction has began works on a major £30m water infrastructure project that will benefit over 300,000 people across Essex.

This is the second phase of the work included in the investment by Essex & Suffolk Water, which is upgrading its Layer Water Treatment Works (WTW) in Layer de la Haye, to ensure a resilient supply of clean, clear and great tasting tap water.

The £6m first stage of the work has included creating a brand new 'sand yard' at the rear of the site, housing a new sand washing machine that replaces an older model that had been in place at the front of the WTW.

Sand washing ensures that the sand in filter beds – used as part of the process of clarifying the raw water during the treatment process – continues to deliver the best results.

With the first stage complete, Farrans will now deliver the next phase which comprises installation of a Mecana filter block at the inlet to the site.

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This chemical free pre-treatment system will be built off-site, in the UK, to avoid disruption, prior to being delivered to the WTW and is anticipated to be installed by Summer 2026.

The plant will help to tackle impacts of climate change that can cause the raw water entering the site to be of a lower quality.

Raw water quality can be affected by such issues as heavy rain causing run-off from land into Abberton Reservoir and hot weather leading to algae growth.

With the relocation of the sandwasher to the back of the site, the new Mecana block will be positioned at the inlet, allowing it to filter the raw water and then send it through the rest of the treatment process powered by gravity, reducing the energy needed to produce the drinking water.

Kay Silver, Essex & Suffolk Water's Project Manager, said: "More than 300,000 customers receive their water from Layer Water Treatment Works, so this investment will help protect and enhance supplies to around a fifth of the county’s population."

"Climate change brings many challenges and can seriously impact the quality of raw water that we treat. So, we are doing something that has never been done on this scale in the UK as part of potable water treatment, with the installation of this filter block.

"It's also sustainable, providing a chemical-free initial process that then drives the following stages of treatment using gravity, further reducing energy use and cost.

"Additionally, replacing and relocating the sandwasher means we have reduced the potential for unnecessary noise from the site, which is great news for our neighbours."

Updates will be available throughout the project at www.eswcommunityportal.co.uk