Our huge investment will allow a greater volume of sewage to be treated to the highest standard, while also protecting the environment by improving the quality of treated wastewater released into the Severn Estuary.
Why is this expansion needed?
Bristol’s water recycling centre treats sewage and wastewater from the city and the surrounding area, but with the city’s population projected to increase significantly in the next 20 years, further capacity is needed to meet these demands.
This increased treatment capacity will also play a role in reducing the automatic operation of storm overflows when rapidly-increasing flows caused by sudden heavy storms can overwhelm the sewer system.
An essential component of the city’s vision to put good social and environmental outcomes at the core of sustainable economic growth, expanding the existing site is also likely to offer further benefits to the city through associated economic opportunities as its construction begins.
Planning and consultation
We submitted our planning application for the expansion of the water recycling centre in Avonmouth in March 2023 and, after careful consideration, Bristol City Council planners gave the go-ahead for the expansion, subject to conditions, in November 2023.
This followed a lengthy consultation process over a five-year period, which extensively gauged both the views of the public and a wide range of organisations about the plans.
Throughout 2023, we spoke directly with the local community about the proposals at a series of drop-in sessions in Lawrence Weston, Shirehampton and Avonmouth.
More than 60 people attended across the three days, taking the opportunity to find out more about the plans, meet the project team and ask questions about the proposed expansion, as well as leaving their own comments and feedback. A virtual public consultation feedback form was also made available for comments.
Our team also met with planning groups in Avonmouth, Lawrence Weston and Shirehampton to help shape the proposals, which were reported in a Statement of Community Involvement as part of the planning process.
The construction
The project to expand the water recycling centre at Avonmouth got underway in January 2024, with the opening six months concentrating on contractors Envolve preparing the site of the expansion for the installation of site infrastructure.
Despite 2024 being one of the wettest winters on record, thousands of tonnes of earth have been excavated and moved and material laid down at the expansion area.
More than 3,700 concrete piles have also been driven into the ground as foundations for the new equipment - such as the treatment tanks and pipework - to be built.
If laid end to end, these piles would stretch 74 kilometres – or from the Avonmouth site to the outskirts of Hereford in the north, Salisbury in the east, Port Talbot in the west or into Dorset in the south.
You can watch our short film about the progress of the first six months of the expansion project below.
As set out in the traffic management plans within the planning application, all large construction traffic will route to the A403 via Kings Weston Lane or via Kings Weston Lane and Merebank Road, avoiding Lawrence Weston Village.
A temporary access and exit onto Kings Weston Lane from the expansion site has been established.
As part of our construction work, we will be clearing vegetation and installing temporary fencing to protect sensitive environmental areas and buried services. Checks for nesting birds will be carried out by our ecologists before vegetation is removed.
What happens next?
Before the end of 2024, the structures that will form the main part of the expansion project will start to take shape above ground.
Our project team are expected to move on to the site in the autumn to oversee this stage of the scheme.
Overall, the expansion project is expected to take five years to complete.
What else are we doing?
Our public consultation process underlined that many local people wanted to see more information about the local archaeology around the water recycling centre and proposed expansion site.
Wessex Water has already carried out substantial investigations into the local heritage, particularly Mere Bank Scheduled Monument, with Historic England and Bristol City Council’s archaeologist advising on the design and survey requirements throughout.
Read more about the Mere Bank Scheduled Monument Investigations.
Additionally, comprehensive environmental and ecological measures have been included within the scheme plans – with the diversion and restoration of two footpaths (BCC/18/10 and BCC/5/10) in the area around the water recycling centre agreed in principle with Bristol City Council.
Sections of these rights of way have been overgrown and underused but we will revitalise them, ensuring they are traffic-free, away from the existing site boundary fence and of benefit to the wider community.
These improvements to the network will also help to promote active transport, providing opportunities for locals to walk and reduce dependency on vehicles.
There will be a temporary closure of these paths during construction while they are realigned, with further details on how the revitalising work would be carried out provided during the course of the expansion.
We will also step up our progress on ensuring the project offers further benefits to the city, including working with organisations like Severnet to explore associated economic opportunities, as well as potential regeneration and environmental enhancements in the area.
Working with the community
Our engagement with local communities didn’t just stop after the planning process – we’re continuing to work with them throughout the construction period.
Our ongoing community engagement about the water recycling centre and expansion was enshrined with the formation of a new Community Liaison Group, featuring representatives from the company, the planning groups from Avonmouth, Shirehampton and Lawrence Weston, and others.
This group first met in late 2022 and again in early 2023 and will continue to do so regularly, discussing how the water recycling centre operates, the progress of the expansion, how this impacts local communities and working together to find potential solutions.
With support from the Community Liaison Group and research with local stakeholders, a new grant fund - the Avonmouth Area Community Fund - has been announced by our Wessex Water Foundation and is set to open in July 2024.
The fund, which will be open for three years, aims to improve the lives of the people in the Avonmouth and Lawrence Weston ward, including Shirehampton.
Members of our project and contactor team have completed a volunteering day at Avonmouth Community Centre this summer, carrying out gardening and clearance work, following previous volunteering days in recent months that included food bank bag packing and a beach clean.
How to stay informed
As well as updating this page, we’re keeping customers and stakeholders informed via a project newsletter.
Subscribe to the newsletter to receive updates about the expansion and other information every few months.
If you have any further questions about this scheme, please email avonmouth.scheme@wessexwater.co.uk.