Forest Row STW - Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant in Wealden, East Sussex

Forest Row STW is a wastewater treatment plant located in Wealden, East Sussex, England, serving a population of 4,440. The facility is situated inland, more than 10 km from the coast, and operates under the regulatory framework of the United Kingdom's water industry. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment required for agglomerations of this size under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), as retained in UK law. The designed capacity of 4,440 population equivalent matches the population served, indicating the plant is appropriately sized for its catchment. Treated effluent from Forest Row STW is discharged into local watercourses that ultimately drain into the English Channel via the River Medway or other Sussex rivers. The plant plays a key role in protecting the ecological health of these waterways, which support diverse aquatic life and are important for regional biodiversity.

Forest Row STW discharges into the River Medway catchment, which flows through the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty before reaching the English Channel. The receiving waters support a variety of fish and invertebrate species, and the plant's secondary treatment helps maintain water quality standards in this ecologically sensitive region.