Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water unveiled its £34 million brand new water pumping station at Prioress Mill in Usk.
The brand new station will help ensure that over 300,000 customers in parts of Monmouthshire and as far afield as Newport and Cardiff, will continue to receive top-quality drinking water.
The newly built station will pump water from the river Usk to nearby Llandegfedd Reservoir. From there, the water will pass through a water treatment works and after treatment will supply hundreds of thousands of customers with fresh, clean drinking water.
The original pumping station at the site was built in the 1960s and had come to the end of its operational life.
The work by the not-for-profit company on the new station started in November 2017. Following the successful completion of the new station, the old pumping station was demobilised.
This new state of the art works houses the latest processes, equipment, and technology, all built within buildings that have been specifically designed to blend in with their agricultural surroundings.
Peter Perry, Welsh Water’s Chief Executive Officer said: “We’re delighted to have completed this significant investment scheme at Prioress Mill. Supplying our customers with safe and reliable drinking water supply is and always will be one of our main priorities.
“The new pumping station will use less energy and have lower carbon emissions. The new operating regime will also have less impact on the river Usk. This is a long term investment which takes into account the future effect of climate change and will help us maintain supply for many years ahead”
“We have worked closely with local residents to keep them informed of our work and minimise disruption and we would like to take this opportunity to thank them for bearing with us.”
To mark the occasion, Secretary of State for Wales, David Davies MP officially opened the pumping station and those in attendance were provided with a guided tour of the new station to see for themselves the work that has taken place.
David Davies MP said: “It was a pleasure to be part of the event to mark the completion of this significant investment at Prioress Mill pumping station.
“It is important for people to have access to a drinking water supply that they have confidence in and the investment here by Welsh Water will no doubt go a long way to achieving this for decades to come.”
The event allowed the company to not only showcase the work that has taken place at Prioress Mill pumping station, but to also highlight the £10 million investment being made to improve the community’s wastewater network. On completion of this work the company will help improve both the way we treat wastewater in the area and the quality of water within the river Usk.
Monmouthshire County Council Leader, Cllr. Mary Ann Brocklesby said: “I am pleased to help mark the opening of the new Prioress Mill pumping station by Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water. This new facility in Usk is an important step forwards to maintain the water supply in the South Wales area. It also sees progress in protecting the important ecology of the River Usk, which is designated as both a Special Area of Conservation and a Site of Special Scientific Interest, thanks to the inclusion of fish screens to prevent entrapment.”