ONE OF the borough’s MPs has officially opened a newly expanded water treatment site in Bray.
Theresa May MP unveiled a commemorative plaque to mark the completion of the expansion project, in similar fashion to former MP John Gummer when the site was built 25 years ago.
The project cost more than £25 million, and means that the site can now pump up to 68 million litres of water a day — a 50% capacity increase and enough to fill 27 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
The drinking water is supplied to homes across Berkshire, Hampshire and Surrey.
Mrs May said that she was pleased to unveil the project and said that it is an important resource for the community.
“Water is something that many of us take for granted but producing safe drinking water is a very complicated process,” she said. “I’m pleased South East Water has delivered this vital project which will continue to supply the area with water for many years to come.”
Bray Keleher treatment works first opened in 1996 , pumping 45 million litres of water a day to customer taps.
The expansion project began in 2018 and involved clearing out thousands of tonnes of earth before installing a series of gigantic tanks.
They include a new Rapid Gravity Filter unit, which uses sand to remove pesticides from raw water and a brand-new sludge treatment system.
The largest tank, a Granular Activated Carbon tank, can hold up to approximately 500,000 litres of water at a time and uses carbon to remove unwanted odours.
Desmond Brown, head of engineering at South East Water, said that the money invested in the scheme shows a dedication to supplying “top-quality drinking water” as the population grows.
“Our team faced many challenges along the way,” he said, “so I am delighted the expansion is now up and running and already pumping water to your taps.”
