A MULTI million pound project to upgrade Barnoldswick Wastewater Treatment Works is reaching its final stages.

The £7.5m project which has taken two years to complete, has seen the introduction of new wastewater treatment processes which will reduce phosphorous levels and in turn improve the quality of the water that is released from the facility.

It will play an important role in improving water quality in Stock Beck which is a tributary of the River Ribble.

With construction and installation almost complete, the processes will now undergo thorough testing before becoming operational early next year.

Project Manager Michael Tillery said: “We’ve installed new treatment processes which not only help neutralise odours, but also have a beneficial impact on water quality in Stock Beck by reducing phosphate levels.

“Across Lancashire we have invested more than £330 million during the last five years in projects ranging from infrastructure improvements to riverside tree planting schemes, which are enhancing water quality in the River Ribble and its tributaries and delivering improvements across the Fylde coast.”