United Utilities commissioned a new reedbed at Chorley to handle the rising stormwater issue in the United Kingdom. The upgrade, known as ARMStorm™, will improve and speed up water purification before returning it to Syd Brook, connected to the River Yarrow.

Three reedbeds are connected in series, and the system works by pumping air into the treatment system – this keeps the water moving around the tank and allows the water to be treated equally rather than letting it settle. Stored water capacity has been increased, preventing leaks. The cleaned water can now be released into Syd Brook, and the upgrade means this happens quicker and the water quality is higher.

This method reduces the risk of combined sewer overflows; it will also reduce costs by lowering power requirements, and this reduced power need also allows the reedbed to keep working in the short term in case of power loss.

United Utilities commissioned this ARMStorm™ reedbed for £2.3million, as part of an initiative to improve water quality in the Northwest region. The initiative has an agreed end date of 2025; this reedbed was completed in March 2023.