Costain, as part of the 4Delivery team working with Southern Water on the Peacehaven Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW), has achieved a major milestone in delivering cleaner seas for Sussex.

The team has achieved compliance in the EU’s Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive for the secondary treatment of wastewater for the Brighton & Hove catchment, the final area of the UK to meet the EU water treatment directive.

Due to the size of the community in the catchment, the directive calls for the secondary treatment of wastewater before it is returned to the environment. The secondary treatment at Peacehaven involves biologically breaking down and reducing residual organic matter in the water.


Achieving compliance means the wastewater produced by residents of Peacehaven, Telscombe, Saltdean, Rottingdean and Brighton and Hove is now being treated to this higher standard.

The £300 million environmental improvement scheme will bring cleaner seas to Sussex and includes a major new wastewater treatment works, two underground pumping stations, 11 kilometres of new sewer tunnels and a 2.5km long sea outfall. Around 95 million litres of wastewater will be treated each day. The project is being overseen by 4Delivery, a consortium consisting of Veolia Water, Costain, and MWH.

(CD/MH)