Ecosystem creation at Hailsham South

A pioneering scheme at Hailsham South Wastewater Treatment Works (WTW) creates an ecosystem from redundant assets and material reuse to go beyond normal industry practice to enhance the natural environment.

Upgrading the WTW was necessary to comply with a stricter Environment Agency discharge consent for Phosphorous and would ensure Southern Water met its obligations under the Habitats Directives and Water Framework Directive to improve the water quality of the Pevensey Levels, a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest and home to a population of Ramshorn snail, a priority protected species in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan.  

The upgrade works required an existing large earth mound covered in scrub within the operational boundary to be removed and a whole new area of assets to be installed. Three large concrete-lined tertiary settlement lagoons that formed part of the existing treatment process were to be decommissioned as part of the scheme. The intention was to clean them out and let them naturally refill with rainwater. 

By placing environmental enhancement at the core of the project, Southern Water aimed to go further, developing an objective to create a natural ‘wilded’ biodiverse environment from the three tertiary lagoons. As well as compensating for the loss of habitat for great crested newts, the solution would enhance the local environment via a diverse arrangement of planting, use of materials and improvement of the aquatic environment. The project pushed past the boundaries of mere regulatory compliance and existing best practices to include many additional enhancements to create an ecosystem which supported many different species and organisms in one place, all interacting with each other. 

Biodiversity enhancements included:

• Newly planted native woodland tree species.
• Areas of wildflowers and grasses.
• Great crested newt pond with aquatic planting.
• Floating islands with aquatic planting.
• Bee bunds to encourage solitary bees.
• Wildlife refugia. 

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