Water Minister Emma Hardy yesterday (Tues 10^th March) visited Witches Oak water project to witness pioneering technology being delivered by Severn Trent.

The work is just one example of the £104 billion investment into water infrastructure which companies are making over the next five years.

The site, close to the M1 in Derbyshire, is a major new facility designed to strengthen water supplies across the East Midlands and protect the region from future droughts.

It does this by treating raw water from the River Trent, which had previously been deemed of poor quality that would not meet strict drinking water standards.

But pioneering filtration processes at the £140million site mean the water can now be treated to an exceptionally high level, providing enough to supply a city the size of Derby.

Water Minister Emma Hardy said: “Our changing climate is increasing the risk of drought, and the government is taking decisive action to secure our water supplies for the future.

“Projects like Witches Oak will strengthen the East Midlands’ resilience to drought and I was truly impressed by the innovative techniques they are using to remove PFAS and other pollutants.

“The skilled staff I met on site today are delivering vital and groundbreaking work, which is part of a wider £104billion investment in our water industry.”

Witches Oak begins the process at a group of floating wetlands, an example of a nature-based solution. The long roots of the plants act as a natural filter and removing pollutants.”

Delivery Business Lead Mat Bingham explained there are two further advanced filtration processes on site. The first, ceramic membrane technology, will filter out even more pollutants and reduce the need for intensive chemicals and energy.

The second, known as Granulated Activated Carbon, uses carbon to remove organic pollutants, PFAS and improve the taste.

Minister Hardy also met several apprentices from Severn Trent who are developing their careers with the company.

They gave her a demonstration of how the water is regularly quality tested on site and instructed her how to initiate the backwashing process – where the water is reversed to clean the filter media.

The trip ended with a view from the high platforms to see the pumps that take the water into the Derwent Valley Aqueduct for distribution across the East Midlands

Witches Oak is in the final stages of development and expected to be completed by this summer. It was the first stop in a series of visits this week by the Water Minister, looking at all aspects of the industry such as new infrastructure and bathing waters.