area land inside sheffield city border location main sewage treatment works city largest treatment works britain treatment process rudimentary removed ponds drying beds transferred rail tip works progressively expanded improve quality discharged pioneer use following experiments works manager world war process known demonstrated visitors great_britain abroad despite improvements levels river works high fish populations survive works internal standard gauge railway years steam diesel locomotives course existence replacement road vehicles 1990s general strike locomotives hauled trains main line delivering wagons tip special 1960s sheffield sewer system inadequate volume produced beneath city works enabling storm sewage river shut water quality improved new treatment process installed reduce levels enabling fish stocks established lower river don subsequent improvements works freshwater fish directive works inundated flood water june don burst banks recommissioned days power station operational southern site supplying electricity steel works lower don valley closed 1970s cooling towers designed remained demolition difficult proximity carries motorway don valley following extensive upgrading treatment works improve quality river beds redundant turned nature reserve providing habitat migrating birds sewage treatment works lowest point area river don flows city railway bridge past set feet sea level meadows formed good site sewage treatment works works opened located site north don east claimed second largest treatment works united_kingdom processing million gallons day works leeds processing history population sheffield increased bought acres land build sewage treatment works august son won contract construction overseen acted clerk works feet standard gauge railway track connected junction manchester sheffield lincolnshire railway completed work january spent extras final bill came cheaper original contract value savings concrete foundations bottoms tanks brick clay works complete mayor officially opened june event witnessed members council invited guests included representative reports time indicated sewage passed catch pits gravity allowing settle removed weekly milk lime added flowed mixing channels entered rectangular settling tanks passed number tanks holding imperial gallons minutes settling passed finally ran filters discharged river long tons removed tanks day pumped ponds water drained moved drying beds farmers taken rail tip near initially tanks tanks railway developed acquisition yards portable track wagons steam crane later year wagons locomotive arrived purchase saddle tank built use contractor engine refurbished manufacturer maintenance contract wagons men works proficient repairs parallel construction works trunk built convey sewage city works major programme expansion sewer network ensure cope expected volumes produced british expected handle series storm sewage provided resulted sewage discharged times heavy rainfall expansion quality discharged don soon giving rise concern treatment process unsatisfactory act parliament obtained allowed buy additional acres contact beds built better treated discharge initial plan reduced secondary contact beds removed scheme approved plans paving way construction biological treatment system instead system lime logan contractors based nottingham won initial contract excavations subsequent construction settling tanks contact tanks jordan bridge carry internal railway line contract worth contracts followed included contact beds settling tanks cubic yards earth storm beds work subsequently raised pay workers rate paid lord mayor opened new works october increased land owned sewage treatment acres buying acres contact beds constructed required later date river poor quality secondary treatment process designed implementation delayed onset world war works manager began experiment ways treat continuous narrow channel constructed tank liquid allowed supported bacteria allowing digest sewage process called known steady stream people came inspect works local authorities great_britain overseas contact beds converted use new system treatment process significantly reduced oxygen demand discharged river good removing major contributor poor water quality river works destruction fish populations regularly contained resulted levels river fish survive concentrations corporation purchasing second hand steam engine approaching locomotive manufacturers eventually acquired new saddle tank built bristol works original engine spare hired power station march year later condemned insurance company sold scrap based liverpool replacement sought saddle tank bought coupled goods train arrived works july works carried painted tanks overhauled statutory obligation treatment works operational special obtained general strike allow engine run main line delivering wagons tip tip eventually january regular operations ceased new tip opened continued sporadically closed operational life tons sewage dumped site following closure sold entire works upgraded distinct phases plan announced january expected cost million phase construction filter pressing plant main contractor actual presses plant supplied phase completed officially opened lord mayor second phase consisted preliminary treatment plant storm sewage separation plant flows plant completed phase split parts initially involved building new primary tanks operational old tanks converted temporary storm sewage tanks fourth phase called phase completed final phase construction completed meant pressed sewage cake taken dumped railway upgraded time supplied replacement track new diesel electric ordered delivered lincoln low successful second engine type ordered following year steam engine cut site corporation wrote convert engine diesel hydraulic transmission declined engine converted works cutting boiler saddle tank fitting diesel engine removed crane completed worked spent subsequent life working tip returned cut later year prototype steel wagon ordered leeds followed replace original wooden wagons ltd supplied supplying final new diesel locomotive purchased built driven great central railway line works engine partially dismantled eventually cut january connection works british rail network cut system small number isolated standard gauge railways track layout simplified track jordan bridge lifted rail operation ceased 1990s hudson wagons went engine changes ownership located preserved railway 1960s sheffield inadequate volume overflowed river periods light rainfall rainfall use years inspection revealed major reconstruction required solution adopted tunnel rock beneath existing work began phase miles foot tunnel built works drop shaft street new pumping station required phase completed july decade phases completed involving miles sewer diameter feet drop shaft near road new sewer road brewery sewer central bus station extension sewer finally extension street street result work capacity greatly increased storm sewage closed resulting significant improvement water quality river improvements problem levels final addressed construction system zones air activated treatment dramatically reduced levels significant factor establishment fish stocks lower outdated filter plant replaced new plant bed new plant old beds situated east island formed don redundant nature reserve improvements process completed included upgrade wet system order remove heavy metals acid gases dioxide hydrogen hydrogen gases produced addition filter removes mercury improvements designed ensure plant met standards set outflow works passes river don navigation joins river past major contributor pollution million invested upgrading plant ensure river meet requirements freshwater fish directive dry weather million gallons treated water day doubling flow river point works shut june don burst banks entire site feet water remained submerged week equipment suffering catastrophic damage water subsided imaginative ways found return operation reasonable time measures emissions plant completely destroyed order week delivery time manufacturers removed training centre hired new unit supplied plant recommissioned operational days contract construction facility awarded including construction buildings pieces equipment required treatment enables breaking materials micro organisms moderate temperatures new treatment facility enables recycled neighbouring enables generate energy combined heat power units power station built coal fired power station spare land south west corner time national grid occupied lower don valley needed additional electrical power chosen site close steel works near river supplied cooling water served railway lines deliver coal station modified capacity increased remained operational 1970s rest power station demolished 1980s seven cooling towers left standing close proximity motorway risk demolition cause damaged foot towers shape designed responsible towers erected liverpool towers built english_heritage considered designated listed structures ruled internal cooling structures removed context rest station longer existed august landmark towers finally demolished explosives damaging motorway nature reserve sheffield city_council negotiated leased unused sewage works years annual rent enable reclaimed turned nature reserve order manage project consortium formed representation south yorkshire forest provides habitat migrating birds area european significance run active programme school education visits city_council exercised option increase size reserve taking additional land
Blackburn Meadows