Work to improve waterways in Warwickshire is well underway, according to Severn Trent.

The water company has started a £450 million scheme which it says will reduce spills from storm overflows by 20 per cent a year.

The company has committed to going "further and faster", to reduce the use of overflows and has started a series of work to be completed at 900 locations across the Midlands this year.

A number of projects in Warwickshire have already been completed, including £169,000 worth of improvement to Fenny Compton Wastewater Treatment works.

This saw reed bed improvements and new pipe work laid to reduce the use of overflows.

Overflows are designed to protect homes and businesses from flooding during heavy rainfall, however Severn Trent said its knows it needs "to do more to reduce the effect on local rivers".

In Warwickshire over the next 25 years the company is investing £300 million to improve 141 overflows by 2050.

Luke Curtis, spills programme lead, said: "Our customers want us to go as quickly as possible to reduce spills from overflows, and we're doing just that.

"We're working round the clock, finding new and agile ways of delivering complex schemes quicker, and this project in Fenny Compton is a great example of that.

"The clever technology the reedbed uses helps filter wastewater and the new pipe work laid reduces the need for overflows, meaning they're not used as much – which is exactly what we're setting out to do.

"We're also looking to install more storage solutions, make more improvements to our network, and deliver more schemes across Warwickshire at pace."

Improvements to Fenny Compton Wastewater Treatment works (image via Severn Trent)

Projects in Warwickshire include £78 million to improve the water quality along more than 50km of river in Shropshire and Warwickshire and help move two stretches (on the rivers Teme and Leam) towards bathing quality by 2025.

Construction work is due to start this summer to increase the capacity of Longbridge sewage treatment works in a £45 million project

And a £4.5 million investment to upgrade Tysoe Sewage Treatment Works to achieve a higher level of treatment and improve the health a tributary of Wyngates Brook has been confirmed.

Luke said: "We know just how important rivers are to everyone and they're just as important to us.

"This series of work for Warwickshire is a really exciting step and compliments the existing things we're doing in the area already as part of our bathing rivers projects, and storm overflow action plan.

"Our customers can trust that we're delivering what they're after, and we're doing it faster than anyone else. We're looking forward to sharing more details of the work in Warwickshire soon."