Severn Trent to improve Shropshire sewage treatment works

Bob Mansell said work at the Monkmoor sewage works will improve the quality of water returned to rivers

Severn Trent Water has announced it will spend £11.5m to improve six sewage treatment works in Shropshire.

The water company said it would help it meet Environment Agency targets.

It also said it would "ensure the company's operations will not be responsible for any harm caused" to a stretch of the River Severn.

Shropshire residents have been critical about raw sewage being discharged into the river, with some refusing to pay part of their water bills in protest.

A large part of the money will be spent at the Monkmoor Sewage Treatment Works in Shrewsbury where technician Bob Mansell worked for 33 years.

He said the work, which is already underway, "will further improve the quality of the treated effluent released back into the watercourse".

It would also prepare the site for future population growth in the area, he said.

Work is also underway at the company's Bridgnorth, Morville, Coalport, Bitterley and Bedlam sites.

The company also has plans to increase the capacity of its Pontesbury sewage treatment works.

Recent Environment Agency (EA) data showed water companies discharged sewage into rivers for 1.8 million hours in England last year, of which Severn Trent was responsible for 249,116 hours.

Water UK, which represents the water industry, insisted in April there were "very high levels of compliance", citing government data.

Severn Trent Water, which serves 4.8m homes and business customers in England and Wales, said it already met Environment Agency targets in Shropshire.

It also said it aimed to improve a stretch of the River Teme in the county, to achieve bathing quality by 2025.