Bournemouth Water is making significant progress in its £113 million upgrade at Alderney Water Treatment Works – a major investment welcomed by Water Minister Emma Hardy MP as a crucial step in securing long-term, sustainable water supplies for the region.
This large-scale infrastructure project, which began in October 2023, is a key part of Bournemouth Water’s £200m investment programme to modernise the water system, future-proof it against a changing climate and minimise the impact on the environment.
The Water Minister visited the site with Jessica Toale MP for Bournemouth West on Wednesday (15 May) and was given a tour of the upgraded treatment works by Susan Davy, CEO of Pennon, owner of Bournemouth Water.
They reviewed the progress made on the site and saw first-hand the innovative new technology at Alderney which will be strengthening the area’s water resilience into the future.
What we've been doing
Works at Alderney Water Treatment Works are moving forward, and Bournemouth Water has made substantial progress across all areas of the project in the last 19 months.
New treatment process buildings have been constructed and concrete wall units have been installed to protect the site’s large water treatment tanks.
The original facility has been replaced with a new ceramic membrane treatment works, which uses advanced technology to deliver more sustainable and eco-friendly water supplies.
Alongside this Bournemouth Water has:
- Installed emergency power generators to keep water flowing during power outages.
- Laid new pipes to ensure water moves smoothly through the treatment system.
- Installed 70 modular filtration units, which were built off-site, to minimise disruption in the local area.
- Installed water pumps in several buildings to ensure a smooth flow of water and maintain its quality.
- Completed 95% of the structural cladding on the treatment buildings to make them fully watertight.
- Connected a flow balance tank to help regulate water movement through the treatment process.
- Built a new, secure, watertight building to safely store the chlorine used in water disinfection.
Once complete, Alderney Water Treatment Works will integrate advanced treatment technologies to secure long-term, high-quality water supplies for over 250,000 customers and meet the needs of future generations.
CEO Susan Davy said: “Alderney Treatment Works is one of our most significant investments in the region – a project of over £100 million that demonstrates our long-term commitment to both people and our precious environment.
“As we near completion, this multi-million-pound upgrade will deliver clean, reliable water to thousands of homes and businesses, while cutting carbon and boosting resilience. By using advanced technology, we’re building a greener, more efficient network that will serve our communities for many generations to come.”
Water Minister Emma Hardy said: “This is a welcome investment in securing clean, reliable water for the Bournemouth area. It’s encouraging to see Bournemouth Water taking steps to future-proof supply and improve resilience.
“The work at Alderney Water Treatment Works shows what’s possible when companies invest in the much-needed long-term resilience of their infrastructure. That’s why this Government has secured £104 billion of private sector investment to upgrade and build new water infrastructure to clean up our waterways and support the building of 1.5 million new homes.”