Wessex Water is nearing completion of a world leading waste water treatment plant in Swanage.

Official opening ceremony by Chris Mullen M.P planned for Thursday 23 November 2000.

The plant has been built on an old demolition site and has been constructed using local Purbeck stone and landscaped to blend into the surroundings.

These buildings house the latest in waste water treatment, a membrane treatment plant capable of treating all the waste water from Swanage even at the height of summer when holidaymakers boost the population to 26,000 people.

These micro-filters process the water and removes everything down to the smallest bacteria to produce an effluent which is fully disinfected.

The effluent will be discharged through the existing Victorian pipeline into the sea 400m beyond the lifeboat station.

A lot of thought has gone into the design of the plant to control odour by using negative pressure within the buildings and feeding all air through a scrubbing system. There is also a stand-by generator capable of running the plant in the worst storm.

Costing a total of £28 million, this major scheme has also involved building an enormous underground storm water tunnel to reduce the risk of flooding in the town centre.

Wessex Water are due to complete the work soon and will begin testing the works later this month.

When complete the area you see will be given back to the public as a park and promenade.

First public open day between 10.00am and 4.00pm on Saturday 25 November 2000.