Severn Trent has begun work to improve water quality along 49km of the rivers Leam and Teme as part of its green recovery investment programme.
The company will create two bathing stretches on the rivers for a trial project in Ludlow, Shropshire, to make the waters safe for swimmers.
The £78 million investment will see Severn Trent make upgrades to its networks and treatment plants in the catchment to benefit the water environment.
Preliminary investigations to assess ground conditions will begin next week ahead of the work starting in September.
Project lead Wilfred Denga, said: “This pre-investigative work is vital in making sure when we come to work later in the year, that our teams know exactly what they’re working with to ensure the work is carried out as smoothly as possible. We’ll be digging some trial holes and boreholes that will help give us the relevant information on utilities and the type of ground we’re working with, so we can crack on with no surprises.”
This will involve digging various trial holes by hand and with an excavator, and drilling boreholes with rotary and percussion rigs to enable geotechnical samples to be taken.
The company will work with farmers to deliver catchment management interventions and increase real-time monitoring to supply water quality data. River water quality status information will be made publicly available through a new app which the company said will support community engagement.
Severn Trent said it will work with communities near the rivers to foster behaviour change and pride in the waterways.
The project is part of overarching work to reduce the frequency and impacts of using combined sewer overflows (CSOs), which have been prioritised in the government’s strategic policy statement to Ofwat.
The company is investing £566 million during the current asset management period (AMP7) on projects that support the country’s green and economic recovery. This includes accelerating work to restore rivers, using nature-based solutions to alleviate flood risks and rolling out smart meters.
A 2020 report by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) that showed no river in England was free from chemical pollution and heralded a surge of public concern over river health.
Last month, following an inquiry into river water quality in England, the Environmental Audit Committee recommended that all water companies should designate “at least one widely used stretch of river for bathing” by 2025.
The report urged Ofwat to encourage work in this area to allow safer swimming in more rivers. The first inland bathing water area was designated last year in Ilkley, Yorkshire.