AN EXCITING new tourist attraction is coming to the area – offering an unusual entertainment for a strictly limited time.

Fed up with lying on the beach? Been to Brownsea Island and Compton Acres? Then how about visiting a sewage works?

“Come on in the water’s lovely” – that’s the message from Wessex Water, which is celebrating its fifth consecutive year of having the highest quality bathing waters in the region.

The company is encouraging people to make the most of the great British seaside, while offering a behind-the-scenes look at how dirty water is treated to a standard that is 100 per cent compliant with EU mandatory standards.

“We have miles of coastline offering some of the cleanest and best beaches in the country which means the British seaside experience is better than ever,” said James Rider, operations manager. “Opening the doors of our sewage treatment works allows people to see how multi-million pound sophisticated treatment processes safeguard our bathing water, recreational waters and shell fisheries.”

A vintage bus will pick people up to take them on a tour of the sewage works.

Visitors will be given a step by step tour and learn about the processes used to treat the 490 million litres of sewage that passes through its 407 works every day.

Poole’s Cabot Lane works will be opening its doors on August 11, with the bus picking up visitors opposite Sandbanks car park at 10am, 11am, 12 noon, 2pm and 3pm.

Bournemouth's tour is on August 12 from the bus stop opposite Court Royal Hotel near Pier Approach, at the same times.