£49m work to boost drinking water quality begins

Essex and Suffolk Water is funding the multimillion-pound work at Barsham

A £49.3m upgrade to water treatment works to produce better quality drinking water for tens of thousands of properties is under way.

Essex and Suffolk Water, part of Northumbrian Water Group, is funding the work at Barsham in Suffolk.

A new underground reservoir is being built that will supply areas including Beccles, Bungay, Lowestoft and Southwold.

The work is set to finish in March 2025.

Construction work has begun to create a new underground reservoir

The new reservoir, capable of storing 20m litres (4.4m gallons) of treated water, is being built underground next to the existing treatment works.

The water company is also adding new pumps, filters, tanks and additional chemical dosing and plant washing facilities to make sure supplies are kept at high standards.

It is hoped works to the boreholes will reduce the need to extract water from the River Waveney.

A new haul road has also been created to keep construction traffic away from homes.

Mark Hopwood, Essex and Suffolk Water's project manager, said: "This is a huge investment in water supplies for Suffolk and one that will not only help to ensure a resilient supply of water for our customers, but also which helps to protect our local watercourses by enhancing our borehole works."