Heyford STW - Secondary Wastewater Treatment in Cherwell, Oxfordshire

Heyford STW is a wastewater treatment plant located in Lower Heyford, near Cherwell, Oxfordshire, England. It serves a population of approximately 2,190 people, classifying it as a small agglomeration under UK and EU regulatory frameworks. The plant is situated in the rural Cherwell Valley, part of the Thames River basin. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for freshwater discharges from agglomerations of this size. Secondary treatment typically involves biological processes to reduce organic matter and suspended solids. The plant's designed capacity is 2,190 population equivalents, and it treats an average daily flow of 487.57 m³. Treated effluent from Heyford STW is discharged into local watercourses that feed into the River Cherwell, a tributary of the River Thames. The Thames ultimately drains into the North Sea via the Thames Estuary. The local watershed supports diverse aquatic life and is important for water quality in the Thames basin, which supplies drinking water to millions downstream.

Heyford STW discharges into the River Cherwell, which flows into the River Thames, then to the Thames Estuary and the North Sea. The Cherwell Valley is a rural area with ecological significance, supporting species such as brown trout and kingfishers. The plant's secondary treatment helps protect water quality in this sensitive freshwater environment.