Purpose
United Utilities realised that the existing Ellesmere Port Wastewater Treatment Works (WwTW), would need major upgrades after learning that the local population is set to rise by a further 10% by 2036. In addition, the facility needed developing to accommodate the increasing biological load, expected from Essar’s Stanlow Oil Refinery.
What we did
We delivered the required upgrade works, constructing a new secondary and tertiary treatment plant, along with a sludge thickening system.
We also developed a solution that would incorporate three separate incoming streams, something the design team had not seen before. The three incoming streams include catchment loads from storm events, waste imported by sludge tankers and the oil refinery influent.
Project successes
We have helped United Utilities accommodate the welcomed growth in the local area, caused by an increase in employment opportunities and transport links.
Our team left an impression on the local supply chain, by including them in our behavioural safety initiative, Safety Ripple. As part of our ‘one team’ approach, we included our supply chain in training exercises, such as the ‘Play it Safe’ card game, which consists of the team working through a pack of 52 playing cards, each of which has a safety risk on, and deciding which ones are most relevant to the project. Once decided, they agree behaviours that will minimise or mitigate those risks and get scored on their performance against those behaviours, throughout the project duration. This exercise pulled the different specialists together as one team and provided them with lessons they can use on future projects to encourage behavioural safety.