After a competitive bid process, Salix designed and built a tertiary treatment reedbed for Anglian Water at their Papworth STW. Salix partnered with Pete Worrall of Penny Anderson Associates and a unique design approach was developed.

A 2000m² reedbed involved a composite approach using both a Sub Surface Flow gravel reedbed and a large floating/rafted reedbed in order to meet the treatment criteria within a limited footprint. This approach represented the first time that a large scale floating reedbed has been used for tertiary treatment within a sewage treatment works.

Over 800m² of floating reedbed was installed over a 1m deep lagoon and all plants came from Salix’s in house nurseries.