£3.3 Million Infrastructure Upgrade Bolsters Storm Resilience at Canwick Water Recycling Centre
As part of a strategic drive to improve environmental performance and meet stringent new regulatory standards, Anglian Water has successfully delivered a major capacity upgrade at the Canwick Water Recycling Centre (WRC) near Lincoln. The £3.3 million project, spearheaded by the company’s @one Alliance, marks a significant milestone in modernising the site’s infrastructure to manage extreme weather events more effectively.
Addressing Regulatory Demands
Canwick WRC serves as a vital component of the region’s wastewater network, treating both residential and commercial flows. However, as the industry faces increasing scrutiny regarding storm overflows and environmental impact, the site required an urgent upgrade. New requirements introduced through the PR24 framework placed a specific emphasis on enhancing storm storage capacity, improving settlement performance, and reducing intermittent discharges into local watercourses.
Hydraulic assessments revealed that to meet these updated criteria, the site required a storage volume of 9,173m³—a significant increase from its previous 5,597m³ capacity. Bridging this 3,576m³ shortfall became the primary objective for the project team.
An Innovative Engineering Solution
Delivering such a substantial upgrade within the confines of a live, operational site presented a unique engineering challenge. To address the space constraints while ensuring minimal disruption to ongoing treatment processes, the @one Alliance opted for a modular, glass-coated steel storm tank.
Standing over 7 meters tall with a diameter of more than 28 meters, the new tank provides 3,600m³ of additional working volume. Unlike traditional in-situ concrete structures, the prefabricated design significantly reduced construction time and improved on-site quality control.
The installation features several high-tech improvements, including:
- Coordinated Flow Management: Three new feed pumps work in tandem with the existing system, using advanced level control instrumentation to manage simultaneous filling.
- Automated Maintenance: The inclusion of a CWF flushing bell system helps reduce manual maintenance requirements and enhances long-term operational efficiency.
- Infrastructure Integration: A complex series of pipe bridges and valve chambers were constructed to navigate existing underground services, ensuring the new asset operates seamlessly alongside legacy infrastructure.
A Future-Ready Approach
Beyond simply increasing capacity, the scheme ensures that the Canwick site is better integrated into the wider catchment, including upstream assets at Washingborough WRC. This system-wide approach to hydraulic management is critical for preventing environmental degradation in the sensitive landscapes surrounding Lincoln.
“The project demonstrates how targeted infrastructure investment can address regulatory requirements while delivering wider operational and environmental benefits,” notes the project team. By successfully navigating the complexities of a live site, the delivery of this storm resilience scheme provides a blueprint for future water industry projects.
As the project enters its final commissioning and close-out phase, the upgrades stand as a testament to the benefits of efficient design and collaborative planning, ensuring that Canwick WRC remains a resilient and compliant asset for years to come.
