OVER £250million is set to be invested in improving river health across the county in a bid to tackle the floods which have long plagued the Faithful City.
Water firm Severn Trent has announced it will invest the cash over the next 25 years as part of its plans to reduce spills from storm overflows across Worcestershire.
Storm overflows act as relief valves when the sewerage system is at risk of being overwhelmed, such as during heavy downpours.
If the system does get overwhelmed it can cause severe flooding or the water may back up into people’s homes.
In total, 134 storm overflows will benefit from the cash, with work including increasing the capacity of storage tanks.
This comes as Worcester City Council’s environment committee has been asked to delve into how best to tackle flooding after a recent spike in washouts.
Rivers will also be watched more closely with all of its storm overflows having monitors.
In January’s flood, caused by Storm Henk, more than 200 properties across the county were impacted.
This cash forms part of Severn Trent’s Storm Overflow Action Plan.
The £4.4billion project aims to ensure by 2045 no overflow will spill more than 10 times in an average year.
Severn Trent’s Chief Engineer Bob Stear, said: “This is a huge long-term investment plan for Worcestershire, improving storm overflows and bringing benefits to rivers now and during the coming years.
“Today’s announcement marks another significant milestone in our drive to deliver real improvements in river health.
“And we know there is still more to do, which is why this investment is so important – not just to us, but to our region’s rivers and the communities they serve.”
