Plan for new 3km sewer pipeline into River Wear moves ahead

A formal request has been submitted to Sunderland City Council for a screening opinion, to determine whether a full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) will be needed.

The proposed 3km pipeline would link Sedgeletch Sewage Treatment Works (STW) near Houghton-le-Spring to a new discharge point on the River Wear.

Proposed pipeline location. (Image: Lichfields)

The pipe would be capable of carrying up to 339 litres per second of final treated effluent away from Herrington Burn and into the River Wear.

The underground transfer system would form part of Northumbrian Water’s £11 million Sedgeletch Environmental Improvement scheme, which aims to reduce pollutants and meet future water quality standards under the Water Framework Directive.

The proposed outfall location on the River Wear, near the Washington Highway’s Chartershaugh Bridge. (Image: Google Maps)

Current documents show that the existing discharge location does not meet future Water Framework Directive targets for phosphorus, zinc, and cypermethrin.

The new scheme is designed to address this and supports Northumbrian Water’s wider programme of upgrades along the Wear catchment area.

The screening opinion process marks an early stage in which the council considers potential impacts and publishes documents the public can inspect.

If the scheme goes ahead, it would involve installing the new pipe from the treatment works to the River Wear, along with two large underground structures and a new concrete headwall at the riverbank to house the outfall.

The Sedgeletch upgrade is part of a wider programme of wastewater infrastructure improvements by Northumbrian Water, focusing on reducing river pollution and supporting compliance with evolving water quality regulations.