SEVERN Trent has confirmed it has completed 1,500 engineering projects ahead of schedule and has now unveiled further plans to fast-track the delivery of another 600 improvement projects to reduce the use of storm overflows.
This will bring the number of upgrades, including storm water tanks to hold rainwater and new solutions to treat wastewater, to an industry leading 2,100 projects by autumn 2025.
The provider has also confirmed that now 1,500 permanent improvements are installed, the average amount of spills from storm overflows is expected to fall by over 25 per cent to reach an average of 18 per year by December.
With another record year of rain and a hike in extreme weather events, the work is estimated to have resulted in around 24,000 spills from storm overflows being prevented across the region in 2024.
James Jesic, capital delivery and commercial director at Severn Trent, said: “From new storm tanks to new treatment solutions, we’ve mobilised a huge team of engineers who are working non-stop to deliver for our customers.
“The team has delivered a major milestone of installing 1,500 overflow improvements, which was made more challenging given the extreme weather events and flooding in many locations.
“We’re now going even further and even faster by delivering an extra 600 projects by autumn 2025.”
An Advisory Panel has been formed to oversee Severn Trent’s progress against Get River Positive, a series of five industry leading commitments launched in March 2022, to lead the charge in transforming river health across the region.
Joe Pimblett, CEO, Severn Rivers Trust said, “As an integral partner within an independent Advisory Panel, I have had the opportunity to see how far and fast Severn Trent is moving forward with plans to improve our waterways.
“Severn Trent’s continuing strong investment in reducing spills is playing a pivotal role in reducing harm in the rivers in my and other regions”
