Northumbrian Water has started work on a £2.5 million project that will improve water quality in a North Yorkshire beck.

The water company is investing in upgrades to its Eppleby Sewage Treatment Works, in Eppleby, south of Gainford, as part of its Water Industry National Environmental Programme (WINEP).

The work will increase the site’s capacity to handle higher combined flows of sewage and rainwater during periods of heavy rainfall, protecting against spills to the Aldborough Beck, improving water quality in the beck and watercourses downstream.

The project is being carried out by Northumbrian Water’s partner, Mott MacDonald Bentley, and is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.

It will involve alterations to the inlet for the works to enable the utility to better manage and measure flows, as well as a new tank and pumping station, which is used as part of the treatment process.

Brian Ford, Northumbrian Water’s Project Manager, said:

“We’re passionate about the environment and this work will help us to protect and improve water quality in the Aldborough Beck, by making the site more resilient to the effects of climate change.”