Severn Trent begins work on £15m environmental programme

Severn Trent has started work on a £15 million environmental programme that is set to bring benefits to the region's fish and wildlife.

The company will install fish friendly screen in 13 locations, as agreed with the Environment Agency. Some of the screens will be installed directly into rivers, others inland, and they will all bring protection to eels and other aquatic wildlife.

The screens are being installed in raw water intakes where water is taken from before being turned into drinking water.

Heather McCready, project manager from Severn Trent, said: “We’re truly passionate about protecting the precious wildlife in our rivers, so we’re really excited about this project as we know it will bring huge benefits to the environment and to river life. We’re committed to protecting the wildlife in the rivers we use to supply our customers with water, so it’s really important we’re doing everything we can to protect them.”

Severn Trent is working with contract partners CiM6 and NMCN to deliver the programme and aims to have all screens installed by March 2021 with the first screen to be installed on the River Severn, near Upton in Worcestershire.

The company will then be carrying out installations across its region on other water intakes of the Rivers Severn, Avon, Tame (Blythe and Bourne), Derwent, Dove and Leam.