A £200m project delivering some of the best quality sea water off the Isle of Wight coast has been officially opened by Southern Water chairman Anthony Nelson.

The Seaclean Wight scheme involved building a new state-of-the-art sewage treatment works at Sandown, eight new underground pumping stations, a series of storage tanks and 70km of pipeline to link all parts of the Island to the new plant.

Mr Nelson said: "The Seaclean Wight project is an acknowledgement of our commitment to our customers and I would like to thank the people of the Isle of Wight for their supportive attitude throughout the project.

"Now the Isle of Wight boasts among the best beaches in Europe which is not just a benefit to local residents and an attraction for visitors and tourists but also a lifetime commitment to the environment.''

The five-year project has ended the historical practice of releasing wastewater into the sea at many points around the Island, close to the shore, after only basic treatment.

Instead the new wastewater treatment works at Sandown, which can serve a population of 140,000, treats up to 3,000 litres of wastewater each second in a multi-stage treatment process.

This enables the Island to meet European directives on wastewater treatment and helps ensure all the beaches meet EU bathing water standards.

The wastewater undergoes preliminary treatment to remove debris, grit and grease, primary settlement to remove solids and biological treatment to remove organic pollutants. The cleansed wastewater is then released out to sea through a new three-kilometre-long sea outfall into the deep waters of the English Channel.

The Sandown works also boasts a sludge recycling centre which uses the latest technology to turn the solid waste into organic fertiliser granules for use in agriculture.

The natural gas given off in the process is recycled to provide heat for the treatment process, making the scheme even more environmentally friendly.