Two enormous Archimedes screws - each the size of a double-decker bus – have been installed at Southern Water’s Horsham Wastewater Treatment Works as part of a £36 million upgrade at the West Sussex site.
The £1.2 million additions measure 15 metres in length and weigh 8600kg each, and are already being put to work, with each capable of lifting 680 litres of wastewater through the treatment process every second.
The new installation replaces aging machinery and is powered by electric motors, replacing the old diesel system.
The investment in Horsham is part of a wider push to boost resilience and efficiency across the water company’s network.
Project manager Jonathon Quirk said:
"These monster screws are a vital part of keeping Horsham’s wastewater treatment processes flowing smoothly. This upgrade is a big step forward in making our operations more reliable and sustainable — and it’s great to see it in action."
Sam Scargill is Construction and Delivery Lead at CMDP - a joint venture between Costain and MWH Treatment who are delivering the Horsham upgrade project commented:
"The installation of the new screws is a significant moment for the Horsham team. A lot of work has gone into not just the removal and installation of the screws, but also the over-pumping and temporary works to enable the removal of the screws while maintaining the operational requirements of the works.”
The overall scheme at Horsham will increase the amount of wastewater the site can treat, and help improve water quality nearby by reducing phosphate levels.
Sulzer has launched a new global Center of Excellence (CoE) for Water Treatment Solutions - the CoE consolidates Sulzer’s wastewater treatment expertise in a unified and global manner.
“SAS (Surplus Activated Sludge) is a bit weird and 
Owen Mace has taken over as Director of the British Plastics Federation (BPF) Plastic Pipes Group on the retirement of Caroline Ayres. He was previously Standards and Technical Manager for the group.
PureTec Separations, the Ledbury-based water treatment engineering firm, has appointed Dan Norman as its new Sales Manager – Water Process Systems, supporting the company’s continued growth in the UK and international markets.
Hear how Scottish Water has completed its £235 million Ayrshire Glasgow Resilience Project - customers across Greater Glasgow, Ayrshire and East Renfrewshire will now benefit from a more secure and resilient water supply.
Hear how United Utilities is accelerating its investment to reduce spills from storm overflows across the Northwest.
Find out more about the remarkable career opportunities on offer at WSP - scroll down to watch the inspirational video.