SOUTHERN Water is pumping £100m into a quality boost. By 2005 the contractors will complete 200 schemes to upgrade sewers and treatment works across the region as part of a programme of environmental improvement across Sussex, Kent, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

Eleven Kent schemes are designed to improve river water quality in Appledore, Fordcombe, Lenham, Sellindge, Teynham, Leeds, Hawkhurst and Woodchurch. Improvements at 13 sewage treatment works will benefit the River Beult.

Southern Water's major projects manager Paul Bradley leads the team with Keith Jeffery and Wayne Middleton as business managers and Chris Sharp as operations liaison manager.

The appointments follow the signing of contracts with Morrison/Halliburton Brown & Root and Black & Veatch/Costain for the design and construction work, which will be carried out during the next four years.

The contractors will form two project teams, one in the west and one in the east of the company's region, based at Horsham and Tonbridge respectively.The team will involve contractors, designers and Southern Water staff working together at the company's sites.

Paul Bradley said: "We will be carrying out the necessary work with the result that rivers, streams and watercourses in the South will be cleaner than they have ever been."

The investment programme is part of Southern Water's £1bn worth of environmental improvements being undertaken between 2000 and 2005.

Key parts of this include £600m to improve sewage treatment levels, £195m to safeguard tap water supplies and a further £240m to improve the sewerage system, primarily to benefit rivers.