Ozone gas to clean river in UK-first £20m project
https://www-bbc-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd6jlplvgzjo.amp
A water firm is using technology worth £20m for the first time in the UK to pump
ozone gas into a river to reduce pollutants.
Severn Trent Water is using the process on waste water to clean up the River
Teme in Ludlow, Shropshire.
It aims to reduce bacteria, micro pollutants and medications in the water, along
with viruses by using the ozone plant on the river.
A stretch of the river was granted bathing water status last year, but the water
quality was later designated as poor because of high E. coli levels from sewage
and agricultural run-off during floods
Severn Trent Water said while their current process ensures pollutants are
reduced, it does not take out all the bacteria and pharmaceutical chemicals.
While the technology has been used on drinking water before, this will be the
first time it has been used on waste water.
The ozone gas will be used at the end of sewage treatments before water is
returned to the river to provide an "enhanced" process, Severn Trent said.
Campaigners have welcomed the steps taken to reduce pollution in the river,
including open water swimmer Alison Biddulph.
She described the River Teme's current water quality as "really good" along with
most of Shropshire's other rivers while the weather stayed dry.
However, she said that two or three bathing sites in Shropshire were marked as
poor because of high levels of E Coli, which were recorded after heavy rain.
