Work is set to get underway on the first project in Wessex Water’s £39 million scheme to help improve bathing water quality in the Burnham area.

The water company is to due to start work on the project in the next few weeks at its pumping station in Highbridge. The work, which will take approximately a year to complete, involves treating storm water to a very high standard by installing innovative ultraviolet (UV) disinfection.

Measures in the scheme includes increasing storage in the sewerage network to reduce the frequency of spills from combined sewer overflows, providing ultraviolet disinfection at more treatment works and a large overflow and working with public authorities, businesses and local communities to reduce the amount of rainwater entering the sewerage network and reducing its capacity.

Kelvin Brick, Project manager for the first phase commented:

 "It is vital that work is done to improve the bathing water in the area. Storm flows will be treated to a higher standard which in turn will benefit the bathing waters of Burnham Jetty and Bridgwater Bay."

More stringent regulations implementing the EU Bathing Water Directive are due to come into force later this year. New classifications will be introduced after the 2015 bathing season and all bathing waters will be expected to achieve at least the "sufficient" classification by this time. Any designated beaches that are found to be "poor" after the 2015 bathing season for five consecutive seasons will result in permanent signage at that location advising against bathing.