A new Degremont water treatment plant, which utilises lamellar separation technology alongside other filtration systems, has recently been opened at the Langford water treatment works (WTW) in Essex, UK, where it is being used to treat effluent prior to its discharge Into the nearby River Chelmer The treated water is actually of a higher quality than the river water into which. it is being discharged and will allow the owners and operators of the site, Essex and Suffolk Water, to Increase abstraction from the river to met the potable water needs of local residents. The lamellar area of the water treatment plant is 84 m(2), with an effective total filtration area of 750 m(2) and a flow velocity of 22 m/h.