Mayflower sets full sail in Plymouth

All of Plymouth’s drinking water is now being produced at South West Water’s groundbreaking new Mayflower treatment works, after the old treatment works at Crownhill was retired last week.

The innovative treatment processes at Mayflower were designed and developed by Dutch water technology company PWNT, and tested at a prototype facility at Crownhill from June 2013 until June 2015.The new technology features suspended ion exchange, inline coagulation and ceramic membrane microfiltration. According to South West Water, it is the first time that this combined technology has ever been used and the first installation of ceramic membranes on a large scale in the UK.

Mayflower has been producing treated water since August, which has been blended with water from Crownhill to ensure a smooth transition for customers. The proportion of Mayflower water going into public supply has been gradually increasing over the last three months.