Wessex Water is investing over £15 million to upgrade Shepton Mallet's water recycling centre, as part of a larger £400 million programme to improve water quality across the region.

The refurbishment, due for completion later this autumn, will enhance the treatment of sewage, ensuring it meets strict environmental standards and reduces the nutrient impact on the River Sheppey.

The upgrades will help to manage pollutants such as ammonia and phosphorus, which can contribute to harmful algae growth and reduce oxygen levels in rivers—a process known as eutrophication. The enhanced treatment capacity will also meet the needs of Shepton Mallet's growing population over the next 20 years.

Hannah Sweeney, project manager at Wessex Water, said, "Reducing the presence of these nutrients in the sewage arriving at our water recycling centres is one of the biggest challenges Wessex Water is stepping up to meet.

"They can be found in agricultural fertilisers, farm slurries, septic tank discharges as well as domestic wastewater and can cause large growths of algae in streams and rivers, which can damage plants and animals by depleting the amount of oxygen in the water – a process known as eutrophication.

"In improving the processes for removing them at our Shepton Mallet site, we'll make sure our treatment continues to meet the high standards set by the Environment Agency and improve the condition of the River Sheppey.

"By the end of this year we'll have upgraded existing equipment and installed new processes to ensure sewage from the local community continues to be safely treated.''

The site, which also serves Bowlish, Darshill, Doulting, and Downside, will see upgrades including new biological treatment units, increased sludge storage, and enhanced infrastructure. New chemical dosing systems, pump stations, and monitoring equipment will also be installed within the existing boundaries of the centre.

Wessex Water's investment is part of a wider effort to protect Somerset's waterways from nutrient pollution, with projects already under way in Radstock, Nether Stowey, and other locations. The company plans to invest a further £900 million in stripping nutrients from wastewater between 2025 and 2030, doubling its current five-yearly spending.