A Leicestershire MP has met with Severn Trent to see the investment at its Wanlip Sewage Treatment Works and discuss the company’s waste operations.

Peter Bedford, MP for Mid Leicestershire got a first-hand look at the £300m investment which Severn Trent is making at Wanlip. The site, which handles 1.34 million litres of wastewater every day, has received significant expansion to its capacity as well as improvements to the treatment process that will support the water quality in the River Soar.

While at the site, Mr Bedford spoke to the team about sewer misuse, when items such as wet wipes and sanitary products are flushed down the toilet. As well as being a major cause of blockages, each month the team at Wanlip removes 56 tonnes of this material from the treatment process.

Mr Bedford also took a tour of the ongoing archaeological dig on the site. The dig – which is being undertaken by a team from the University of Leicester – was launched following a standard pre-work survey which found possible Roman, Saxon and Iron Age artifacts.

Peter Bedford MP said: “It was great to learn more about Severn Trent’s broader plans for investment across Leicestershire and the work they are undertaking to reduce their impact on the environment.

“Many of us probably don’t pay too much thought to what happens when we flush the toilet or take the plug out of the sink, so seeing this process and understanding more about the ways that we can all help to prevent sewer blockages was really fascinating.”

The tour was conducted by Wanlip Team Manager, Joseph Slater and Lead Project Manager, Tim Sawyer.

Tim said: “We were really pleased to be able to welcome Peter to Wanlip and show him some of the fantastic work that’s going on here to make sure that we meet both current and future challenges.”

The visit follows confirmation by Ofwat in December of Severn Trent’s plans to invest £15bn to 2030, £300m of which will be spent in Leicestershire.

ENDS

Photo caption: Joseph Slater (Severn Trent) talks Peter Bedford MP through the treatment process.