Wastewater treatment works to be upgraded to improve water quality in the Manchester Ship Canal

A £17 million upgrade has started at Warrington South wastewater treatment works to improve water quality in the Manchester Ship Canal.

The works on Bellhouse Lane is set to become one of the first sites in the UK to integrate Mobile Organic Biofilm (MOB) technology into its processes. 

The technology has previously been trialled at a couple of other treatment works in the North West and will help the site in Warrington to reduce ammonia and phosphorus in the treated wastewater, while increasing production capacity.

MOB technology is an innovative aerobic solution for treating wastewater entering the works by using bacteria to clean the water by breaking down pollutants. It’s more flexible than older systems and easier to install alongside existing equipment, but offers a sustainable biological solution to treating waste.

The new system will treat around half of the incoming wastewater - approximately 150 litres per second - helping to cut ammonia and phosphorous levels while the rest continues through the current process.

The rest of the site will continue to run as normal, with the site fully integrated by Autumn 2026. The North West’s water company is working closely with the Environment Agency to deliver the project.

Sean Reid, County Business Lead for Wastewater Services in Cheshire said: “We are always looking at new and innovative ways to treat wastewater in the North West, and MOB is just one string to our bow in achieving this. This investment at Warrington South will help to further improve the quality of the treated wastewater leaving our site, and ultimately benefit the Manchester Ship Canal and surrounding environment.”

It comes as United Utilities embarks on the largest investment in water and wastewater infrastructure for a century.  The company will be spending more than £13bn over the next five years to protect and enhance over 500km of rivers, lakes and bathing waters whilst safeguarding drinking water supplies for millions of customers.

The project is being delivered through United Utilities new Enterprise delivery model which brings together seven design and construction partners, plus United Utilities, into one integrated team.