At Bran Sands, a major wastewater treatment facility on Teesside, we worked with Galliford Try as lead designer to deliver capital maintenance of the Train C Blowers for Northumbrian Water.

The team provided asset design expertise to enable seamless construction of a resilient Effluent Treatment Works through smart engineering and collaboration. Designed in two phases, the ETW treats up to 304,000 m³/day using jet aeration, ensuring efficient wastewater treatment. Sludge is further processed at the Regional Sludge Treatment Centre (RSTC), creating an integrated system.

m³/day flow capacity of the ETW at Bran Sands
304,000
Years of WSP’s relationship with Northumbrian Water
30
Number of design phases
2

Overcoming challenges with a unified approach

Delivering a project of this scale came with challenges, including Northumbrian Water’s prudent decision to delay a planned shutdown due to forecasted rainfall. In response, the team swiftly demobilised and rescheduled works to avoid operational disruption, prioritising safety and environmental protection. Throughout, we worked in sync with Galliford Try, ensuring that design and engineering support kept pace with construction to prevent delays and maintain momentum for Northumbrian Water.

Another major adjustment was the shift from high voltage to low voltage systems. While the benefits of switching to from high to low voltage systems, such as improved reliability and greater energy efficiency were evident and aligned with industry best practices, the transition required the use of larger cables and careful underground routing due to bending radius limitations. Our electrical specialists devised an optimised installation approach that met compliance standards while ensuring seamless integration.

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Decisive actions that led to success

One of the project’s most defining moments came with Northumbrian Water’s trust in WSP’s Concept and Definition design, allowing for a direct procurement of blowers rather than following traditional procurement methods. By bypassing unnecessary delays, the decision significantly reduced lead time and kept the programme moving forward. Additionally, ensuring the system was commissioned and running before the Christmas break proved a crucial win for the NWG Operations and Maintenance team. This milestone showcased the team’s ability to meet deadlines while exceeding expectations, reinforcing the value of collaboration and strategic execution.

The project team got the new Train C Blowers system commissioned and proved before the Christmas break, earning excellent feedback from Northumbrian Water. This reduced the need for standby operations staff over the holiday period, delivering cost savings while maintaining system reliability ability - a big win for the team.
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Collaboration & innovation at its best

Success at Bran Sands was built on a foundation of trust and expertise between WSP, Galliford Try, and Northumbrian Water. Open communication ensured quick decision-making, particularly when reacting to site changes and installation challenges. When a supplier was unable to deliver promised pipe stress analysis, WSP stepped in, successfully executing the task using pipe stress modelling software Caesar. The industry team’s ability to pivot showcased both technical expertise and problem-solving agility.

The success of the Bran Sands project was underscored by Northumbrian Water’s strong satisfaction, leading to repeat work at the site. WSP secured new projects, including Train A & B Blowers and the IC Reactors Raw Sludge Conversion Project, demonstrating the value of consistency and trust in long-term partnerships. The collaboration between WSP and Galliford Try was essential to achieving these results. 

The WSP team feel like an extension of our own internal design team. We collaborate regularly on calls, as well as via Microsoft Teams and email. The teams feel integrated, and there's very little in the way of boundaries in terms of information sharing and problem resolution.

Further cementing its success, the Bran Sands Train C Blower project was nominated at the Northumbrian Water Group Going the Extra Mile (GEM) awards, securing runner-up status for health, safety, and wellbeing: a testament to the commitment all parties brought to every stage of delivery.

The Bran Sands success sets a benchmark for future work, reinforcing strong communication, smart procurement, and multidisciplinary collaboration. 

This project proves that trust, agility, and collaboration drive engineering excellence, paving the way for smarter, more efficient infrastructure solutions.

Other challenges that we have overcome