Investment Brings Green Power To Taunton

Wessex Water has announced plans to invest more than £20m to increase green power at its sewage treatment works that serves Taunton.

The water company is installing state-of-the-art equipment at Taunton (Ham) sewage treatment works, near Creech St Michael, to increase the amount of renewable energy produced at the site.

Work started this week on a project that will involve installing two acid phase digesters which will form part of a process to generate more power from waste flushed down toilets and drains in Taunton and surrounding area.

Wessex Water project manager Dave Jones said: "We have been generating biogas from the treatment process at the site for a number of years to produce renewable energy.

"The new equipment will mean we can now do this more efficiently on a larger scale which will reduce our carbon footprint as well as future operating costs."

Biogas is generated when human waste is broken down through anaerobic digestion – a process in which bugs in the absence of oxygen break down biodegradable material to produce methane. The gas can then be used for power generation.

The digesters being built at the sewage works increase biogas production by keeping waste in the system for longer, prolonging the time energy can be generated.

The green investment is part of Wessex Water's long term goal to become carbon neutral.

The company said further investment for Taunton sewage treatment works was planned which included improving the quality of waste water which is already treated to a high standard before safely released into the environment.

It added this would ensure the site remained compliant with stringent regulations and allow for population growth in Taunton and the surrounding area.

Additionally a new access road is planned so vehicles travelling to and from the sewage works can more easily access the A358.

Mr Jones said: "The majority of the construction work will take place once the new road has been built.

"Once site work has been completed the road will be used by tankers for our normal operation of the site.

"It will mean in the near future traffic travelling to and from the site will avoid the villages of Ruishton and Creech St Michael."

Ruishton Parish Council, Creech St Michael Parish Council, Somerset District Council and Somerset County Council have been consulted about the proposed work, which Wessex Water anticipates will be completed in its entirety by Spring 2015.

SOURCE: Wessex Water