Herefordshire is located in the West Midlands of England and covers approximately 842 square miles, with a population of around 187,000. There are many notable rivers which flow through Herefordshire, including the River Wye which is one of the UK’s longest rivers at 135 miles long. It flows through Hereford and Ross-on-Wye and is known for its scenic beauty and importance to local ecosystems.
As a business, Welsh Water has 86 wastewater treatment works and 5 water treatment works, as well as 980km of sewers and 2527km water pipes to serve this county.
Over the next five years, we will be focusing on investing for the future. This includes continuing to improve resilience in our drinking water network as well as strengthening our efforts to protect and improve the local environment.
Every five years we prepare a regulatory business plan which is submitted to Ofwat as part of the Price Review process. The plans are based on customer views and cover our performance commitments, efficiency, investments, and bills. Below are some examples of the work carried out in your area during the previous investment period 2020-2025
In 2023, we completed a £3.5 million investment to upgrade the wastewater assets at Weobley Wastewater Treatment Works. The main improvement included the introduction of a process which will remove phosphorous from the treated wastewater which will help reduce levels in the nearby Newbridge Brook – which in turn will benefit the river quality and its aquatic life. The work took place within the boundary of the treatment works which is just off Kington Road in Weobley.
We invested £8 million to upgrade the way the wastewater network operates in Norton and Presteigne. This involved building a brand-new pumping station at Norton wastewater treatment works and upgrading the assets at Presteigne Wastewater Treatment Works. Using the latest technology, this has allowed for the waste from Norton to be pumped to Presteigne where it is treated. The work included the introduction of a process which removes phosphorous from the treated wastewater, which will help reduce levels in the nearby Norton Brook and River Lugg – which in turn will benefit its aquatic life.
We invested £27 million to reduce phosphorus released from Eign and Rotherwas wastewater treatment works in Hereford. This investment has seen the installation of the latest technology and equipment which will allow us to further improve the quality of the water which is released back into the environment, benefitting the quality of the river Wye and its aquatic life.