Nus Ghani, MP for Wealden, has welcomed progress to the £7m project to upgrade Arlington Water Treatments Works.
As part of an ongoing programme to improve the water supply infrastructure, South East Water are undertaking a £7 million expansion and improvement project at the existing Arlington Water Treatment Works on Station Road, Arlington.
Over the course of the project, a new sludge processing plant will be built and the aged high lift pumps which pump water out into supply will be replaced. South East Water also plan to modernise the automation chemical treatment equipment which will help to improve the resilience of the works.
Work started in June last year and the project is expected to run until August 2021. The site is still fully operational while the upgrades and expansion take place.
Before Christmas a brand-new control centre was installed. The control centre is key to the operation of the site as it measures the raw water taken from Arlington Reservoir and ensures that water passes through the many complex processes which turn it into crystal clear, top quality drinking water.
Work has also begun on laying the electrical cables to power the new pumps, which push millions of litres of clean drinking water out to customers’ taps each day.
Nus Ghani said: “The water supply problems that plague Wealden every year are unacceptable. In some cases, they leave families, businesses and schools without any running water for days. I work with South East Water throughout each incident to ensure that bottled water is delivered to those in need and all updates are appropriately communicated with Wealden constituents.”
“I am pleased that work at the Arlington Water Treatment Works is progressing well. This is a key improvement that will help ensure that the site will serve East Sussex for generations to come. It is vital that South East Water continues their commitment to supply top quality drinking water into the future as the population of the south east increases. I will continue to work with South East Water and Wealden District Council to ensure that our water infrastructure is fit for purpose.”
