Northumbrian Water has invested £5.7 million in upgrades at two of its sewage treatment works to protect a local watercourse in North Yorkshire.

The investment by the water company at the sites in Eppleby and Aldbrough St John will help to protect water quality in a local watercourse Aldbrough Beck.

The work has increased the capacity at both site locations, helping to cater for increased amounts of combined sewage and storm water that are a result of increased rainfall from climate change.

Alterations were made to the sites’ inlets, and new storm tank capacity. A new pumping station was also installed at Eppleby, allowing better management of flows, reducing the likelihood of spills to the beck.

Northumbrian Water’s partner, Mott MacDonald Bentley (MMB) carried out the work on both sites.

The upgrades at Eppleby and Aldbrough St John follows work to install a new storm tank at the company’s nearby Melsonby Sewage Treatment Works (STW), which was carried out in 2023. That project, delivered with partners Esh-Stantec, will help to protect the environment from pollution caused by storms and will also support local population growth.

Ben Gilbert, Project Manager at Northumbrian Water, said:

“We want our operating area to have the best rivers and coasts in the country and investment like this, protecting watercourses such as Aldbrough Beck, which ultimately flows to the River Tees, plays a really important part in that.

“Climate change, and the increased rainfall that brings, makes such investment vital, to ensure that we can meet the challenge of higher volumes entering our site, so the completion of these works is a really positive step forward for these watercourses.”

£500k environmental upgrades add protection to the River Coquet

Northumbrian Water has also completed a separate project to upgrade part of the sewerage network to help protect the River Coquet in Northumberland from the risk of sewer flooding.

The water company has invested £500,000 in the work, which has seen the conversion of a pumping station in Warkworth to one which utilises a wet well, a tank that holds wastewater ready to be pumped. This will help to protect the environment, including the river, during storms.

The station sits in a flood risk area next to the river on The Stanners, and the work will enable it to continue operating and pumping the combined sewage and rainwater in the system, even if it is flooded.

Northumbrian Water’s Project Manager, Christopher Bond, commented:

“This has been an important investment for the area, helping to protect the Coquet and the wider environment. Converting the pumping station to a wet well reduced the risk of sewer flooding and adds resilience to the network, including in storm conditions.”

The work was carried out by Northumbrian Water’s partner, Retroflo, over a four month period.