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Project Update 24/10/2025

From "Sedgeletch Environmental Improvement"

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Hi everyone,

We’re planning some work in your area and are seeking your views

At Northumbrian Water we want to let you know details of essential work we are planning in your area to help improve the environment.

We are investing around £11m as part of our commitment to help improve and protect the environment in the Sedgeletch area, in particular improve the water quality in the Lumley Park Burn and ensure that the treatment facility continues to serve the community effectively..

What we are planning and when

We want to share our proposals with you to understand your views about this work and how we can minimise any disruption you may experience once the work is underway.

Together with our supply partners, Stantec and Avove, we are currently investigating potential solutions to improve the performance our Sewerage Treatment Works. The works proposed is the construction of an underground Sewage Pumping Station (SPS) with associated pipework to transfer final treated flows out of the Lumley Park Burn and transferring to the River Wear. You may have noticed our trusted partner, Avove, carrying out surveys in the area as part of our investigations and we estimate completing final investigations by the end of 2025.

The proposed site works are programmed to take place between early 2026 and Summer 2027. We will provide further programming information in due course.

You can also find out more information about our project on our community hub

Thank you,

The Project Team

Comments(3)

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Profile of Matthew Walmsley
Posted by:Matthew Walmsley
7 months ago
Will this reduce flow levels in Lumley Park Burn? The water in the burn is currently clean enough to support populations of dipper, grey wagtail, mandarin duck and kingfisher. In the summer months most of the flow comes from the treatment works. Will this wildlife be put at risk just to move the outflow a couple of miles down the river Wear? Why not reduce bills by a few pounds instead?!
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Profile of Community Hub Admin Team
Posted by:Community Hub Admin Team
7 months ago
@Matthew Walmsley Hi Matthew, thank you for your message and for sharing your comments with us. We’ve passed your feedback on to the project team for their consideration. We’ll review the points you’ve raised and will get back to you with a response by Tuesday, 28 October. If you have any further questions in the meantime, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
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Profile of Community Hub Admin Team
Posted by:Community Hub Admin Team
7 months ago
@Matthew Walmsley Hi Matthew, thank you for your message and raising these important points. We understand your concerns regarding any potential impact on Lumley Park Burn and the wildlife it supports. The presence of species like dipper, grey wagtail, mandarin duck, and kingfisher is a clear sign of the burn’s current ecological health. We absolutely recognise the value of protecting that and intend to do so. The proposal to relocate the outflow is being carefully assessed to ensure that any changes do not negatively affect local biodiversity or water quality. Environmental impact is a key part of our planning process, and we’re working closely with ecological experts and regulatory bodies to make sure that wildlife is safeguarded. We also appreciate your thoughts on customer bills. Our aim is always to balance environmental responsibility with value for money, and we’re committed to being transparent about the reasons behind any investment decisions.
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Current status

Update