OVER STW Wastewater Treatment Plant, South Cambridgeshire, England

OVER STW is a wastewater treatment plant located in Over, a village in South Cambridgeshire, Cambridgeshire, England. It serves a population of around 11,916 people, classifying it as a medium-sized agglomeration under UK regulatory frameworks. The plant is situated inland, away from coastal areas, and its operations are part of the broader water infrastructure managed by the UK's water industry. As a plant serving a population between 10,000 and 100,000, OVER STW is subject to the requirements of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD), transposed into UK law. This directive mandates secondary treatment for such agglomerations, with potential for more stringent tertiary treatment if discharging into sensitive areas. The specific treatment processes and capacity details are not publicly available, but the plant is expected to meet these regulatory standards. The treated effluent from OVER STW is discharged into local watercourses that ultimately drain into the River Great Ouse, which flows through the Fens and into The Wash, an ecologically important estuary. The Wash supports diverse birdlife and marine habitats, making the plant's discharge quality crucial for downstream environmental health. The plant's inland location reduces direct marine impact, but its contribution to riverine water quality is significant.

OVER STW discharges into local watercourses that feed into the River Great Ouse, which flows through the Cambridgeshire Fens and into The Wash estuary. The Wash is a large, shallow estuary of international importance for migratory birds and supports a variety of fish and invertebrate species. The plant's effluent quality directly affects the ecological health of this downstream environment, particularly in terms of nutrient loading and oxygen demand.