South West

Project puts higher quality drinking water on tap

Drift water treatment PenzanceA £4 million project to upgrade Drift Water Treatment Works in Penzance and geared to removing trihalomethane  precursors and pesticides from the water in line with Drinking Water Inspectorate requirements, is making good progress.

The project is being carried out for South West Water, who are working in conjunction with Construction Partner Interserve and Design Partner Hyder Consulting on the scheme.

“The aim of the scheme is to achieve compliance with set standards for the level of pesticides in drinking water and improve the water quality” said Jenny Thorne of South West Water.

The works include the provision of a conventional granulated activated carbon contractor process (GAC), as well as replacing an inter-stage pump, demolishing the current clean back wash water tank and installing a new two-cell final water tank. The GAC is a large plant housed within its own building.Drift water treatment Penzance

Granular activated carbon (GAC) is commonly used in drinking water treatment to adsorb synthetic organic chemicals and natural organic compounds that cause taste and odour, colour, and can react with chlorine to form disinfection byproducts (DBPs).

GAC is an effective adsorbent because it is a highly porous material and provides a large surface area to which contaminants may adsorb.

“The reason why the cost of this project is relatively high is because it is situated on a site with former mine workings underneath it and this has resulted in the need for extensive piling and ground stabilisation works prior to construction – even more than was revealed by the initial boreholes” said Jenny Thorne, adding that this required the extension of the contract programme.Drift water treatment Penzance

The construction is being carried out on a fully operational site and requires close and complex working arrangements with the existing plant and staff in order to maintain full operation.

Currently the project is making good progress and is expected to meet its operational date before 31st March 2012.

Interserve is one of the world’s foremost support services and construction companies, operating in the public and private sectors in the UK and internationally. The company offer advice, design, construction, equipment and facilities management services for society’s infrastructure. Interserve is based in the UK, has revenue of £1.9 billion and a workforce of nearly 50,000 people worldwide.

Interserve’s ability to support clients at any point in the life cycle of their assets – buildings, associated land and other infrastructure – begins with consultancy and planning advice, ranging from sustainability and energy management to healthcare planning and cost management.

The company’s design and construction expertise covers the full spectrum from strategic projects to programmes.

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