By: United Utilities
Published: 26/06/2025
United Utilities is investing £48 million to upgrade Lancaster Wastewater Treatment Works and improve water quality in Morecambe Bay.
The upgrade will increase stormwater storage at the site and play a key role in enhancing water quality in the nearby River Lune and Morecambe Bay by reducing the number of times that storm overflows operate in heavy rain.
Earlier this year a two-storey welfare compound for onsite workers was installed and early work including vegetation clearance and tank drainage got underway.
By Spring 2029, three existing storm tanks will have been demolished and replaced with modern, higher-capacity structures. Elements of the existing tanks will be recycled and reused in the construction of new operational sludge tanks, supporting the project’s low-carbon approach.
The additional storage will help increase the amount of storm water the site can store and then return for full treatment. It will play a key role in enhancing water quality in the River Lune and Morecambe Bay by reducing the number of times the storm overflows need to operate during periods of heavy rainfall.
The project is being delivered through United Utilities’ new Enterprise delivery model which brings together seven design and construction partners, plus United Utilities, into one integrated team.
Alongside the storm upgrades, a separate project will upgrade the site’s sludge treatment process. This is part of United Utilities’ wider bioresources strategy which is currently on track for completion by spring 2028.
During the last five years, United Utilities invested in projects across Lancashire ranging from infrastructure improvements to riverside tree planting schemes, which are enhancing water quality in the counties’ rivers.
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