Environmental & Discharge Monitoring

Aqueous Discharges

A new Waste Treatment Plant (WTP) was opened at AWE Aldermaston in 2006, and replaced the Pangbourne Pipeline which closed in 2005. Soon after opening, the plant won a prestigious National Institute of Chemical Engineers water award.

The WTP processes AWE’s radioactively contaminated aqueous waste, and the plant – built to industry-leading standards – sets the benchmark for liquid effluent treatment.

Contaminated waste water is collected from on-site processing facilities and transported to the new plant, where it is treated using a combination of high-tech evaporation and filtration processes, unique in UK nuclear engineering, which purifies the water to exceptionally stringent levels comparable to drinking water standards. The discharge from the new plant contributes to the site trade effluent discharged to Silchester sewage treatment works.

The Pangbourne Pipeline was used to discharge pre-treated wastewater from the AWE Aldermaston site into the river near Pangbourne. For over half a century the Pipeline formed part of AWE’s liquid waste management system, and dispersed only low levels of radioactivity under strict compliance with the exacting conditions demanded by all regulatory authorities, latterly those of the Environment Agency.

The discharge end of the pipeline, known as the sparge pipe, has now been dismantled and disposed of safely, and the remainder of the pipeline will be removed or otherwise made safe in accordance with procedures agreed with and monitored by regulators.

Appropriate measures are of course taken to ensure minimum impact on the river ecology and local environment. The removal of the pipes from the riverbed is a very visible symbol that AWE has honoured our commitment to continuing environmental improvement.

You can find out more in our Publications section, where we will soon have links to our Aqueous (liquid) Discharges Reports