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Old Ford Water Recycling Plant

Old Ford Water Recycling Plant

Water reuse in London's Queen Elisabeth Olympic Park

Old Ford Water Recycling Plant

Old Ford Water Recycling Plant

Water reuse in London's Queen Elisabeth Olympic Park

Old Ford Water Recycling Plant

Old Ford Water Recycling Plant

Water reuse in London's Queen Elisabeth Olympic Park

Old Ford Water Recycling Plant

The Old Ford Water Recycling Plant (OFWRP), located next to the Queen Elisabeth Olympic Park (QEOP, London), is the UK’s largest community wastewater recycling scheme. It was built in 2011 and was operational during the Olympic Games in 2012. It is owned and operated by Thames Water Utilities Limited (TWUL).

The scheme provides water for urban non-potable applications. A network connects to the Olympic Park for toilet flushing, landscape irrigation and topping up on-site rainwater harvesting systems.

The south-east of England is characterised by rapid population growth under limited water resources availability. The OFWRP is thus an example from which the region could learn.

The plant has capacity to treat 574 m3/d (0.21 hm3/yr) of raw sewage in a membrane bioreactor with ultrafiltration membranes (MBR), granular activated carbon (GAC) filtration and disinfection (NaOCl)

Tasks within DEMOWARE are focused on: 

  • New tools for monitoring the microbiological contamination in the distribution network
  • Risk assessment for the human health related to the use of reclaimed water
  • Goverance and public acceptance of water reuse