AN MP has been given assurances that Maldon's water treatment works can cope with the increasing number of homes being built in the town.

Maldon MP John Whittingdale visited the Maldon Water Recycling Centre and saw each stage of the treatment process.

The centre, in Osea Road, off Goldhanger Road, has a new storm tank in place to collect overflows during heavy rainfall to reduce the number of discharges of untreated effluent.

Mr Whittingdale was assured that there is sufficient capacity to cope with the additional housing development in the area.

He said: “I welcome the investment that has already taken place at Maldon Water Recycling Centre and the assurance that the centre can cope with the increased demand created by new housing.

“However, last year’s figures of 72 discharges for a period of 1,180 hours from this centre alone is still far too high.

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“Anglian Water believe that wrongly placed monitors have resulted in higher readings than is the reality and I have asked that they provide more information and take further action to address this.”

Mr Whittingdale attended a meeting to discuss the Blackwater Estuary and the River Chelmer in Maldon.

One of the concerns raised in the meeting was about the liquid waste or sewage discharged at Beeleigh from a pipe owned by Essex and Suffolk Water.

He said: “I have also followed up the issue raised at the meeting of the discharge from a pipe at Beeleigh and have written to both Essex and Suffolk Water and Anglian Water to establish what this consists of and who is responsible.”