Reclaiming disused sewage plants

Prologis Park Midpoint is a 1.4-million-square-feet warehouse development in the West Midlands, UK. The industrial and distribution park, built on the site of a former sewage waste treatment plant, has a sustainability rating (BREEAM) of “excellent”. BREEAM-accredited projects are sustainable environments that maintain a strong focus on protecting natural resources, uphold the well-being of people who live and work in the developments and make the property attractive for investors.

The former waste treatment plant, containing 103 disused sludge drying beds, was acquired in 2006. The site had been inactive for 20 years and the accumulated waste was releasing greenhouse gases. Following discussions with Birmingham City Council and the Environment Agency, a remediation plan was produced to reclaim the land for development.

RSK completed major earthworks that involved releasing 50% of the site from the flood plain it was on, stabilising 90,000 m3 of sewage sludge and creating a secondary river channel to provide flood compensation storage. A balancing pond with reed beds allied to the new river channel that provided a 50-m-wide environmental corridor supporting habitats for voles, bats, birds and other wildlife. The infrastructure produced was designed to adoptable standards, including the foul water pumping station. RSK concluded its remit and the development is fully let.