17/08/2012
You don’t need to ‘spend a penny’ for this free tour in Swansea
If you ever give a thought to what happens to the water that you run down the sink, use in the shower, or flush down the loo, then a tour of Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water’s local treatment works may be just the thing for you.
As part of Swansea Civic Society’s Open House initiative, on Sunday 9th September the doors to Swansea Bay wastewater treatment works at Crymlyn Burrows, off Fabian Way will be open for three guided public tours.
The Swansea Bay works was built in the mid 1990’s at a cost of £90 million and considerable effort was put into creating a sensitive design to ensure the majority of the structure could be built underground and out of sight.
Ultra violet disinfection is incorporated in the final treatment process, so treated wastewater returned to the environment is of a very high standard and makes a huge contribution to maintaining the quality of bathing water in the area, and the number of Blue Flags now flying at beaches around the Swansea coast.
Kate Elliott who is responsible for the operation of the works, said: “We have taken part in the Open House initiative for a number of years now, and we find that people are very interested in seeing for themselves what is actually involved in receiving and treating the average 65,000 cubic metres of wastewater that is dealt with at the Swansea Bay works every day.
“The three tours on our open day will be at 9.00am, 10.00am and 11.00am and, due to the operational nature of the site, we have a limit of 10 people on each one.”
It is essential that people ring in advance to book a place by calling Sheena Howells on 01443 452526 or emailing sheena.howells@dwrcymru.com. Places are booked on a first come, first served basis and are fill fast and are always fully booked. This information is also available on Welsh Water’s website at www.dwrcymru.com . We ask that people wear sensible shoes and to note that some areas of the works are not accessible to wheelchair users. Other protective equipment, for eyes and hands, will be provided on the day.
Information on other Swansea Open House tours can be found at www.swanseaopenshouse.com. You can also check out all the visits on Facebook – SwanseaOpenHouse and join the debate on Twitter - @OpenHouseSwan
Welsh Water is investing heavily and working hard to ensure top quality services to all the communities it serves. The company is investing £1.5 billion in its water and sewerage network between 2010 and 2015.
It is a ‘not-for-profit company’ which has been owned by Glas Cymru since 2001. Welsh Water does not have shareholders, and any financial surpluses are reinvested in the business for the benefit of customers.
Bookmark with: