A £200,000 scheme to reduce odour nuisance in Hereford was completed when a large steel and glassfibre reinforced products cowl (GRP) was lowered onto the sewage works at Rotherwas.

Herefordshire Council has been pressing for odour improvements at the Rotherwas sewage treatment works in Hereford and working to put in place an action plan.

A crane lowered a large steel and GRP cowl onto the Rotherwas tower. The cowl forms part of the odour abatement system to stop unpleasant smells from the sewage works escaping into the atmosphere.

Andrew Tector, head of environmental health and trading standards for Herefordshire Council, said: "The Rotherwas tower had been highlighted as one of the most significant sources of odour from the two city sewage works and we have every belief that this substantial improvement work will reduce the smells.

"We are also taking every effort to ensure that two follow-up schemes are completed at the Eign works over the coming months and will press for these to be commissioned before the sewage works is at full capacity when seasonal effluent comes through in the autumn."

Andrew Bowen, Welsh Water's regional investment manager, said: "We have been committed to working with all interested parties to develop and implement a long-term solution to the odour issues at our Eign works. We are delighted we are now nearing completion of this work."