Yorkshire Water will start work on completing an upgrade to the telemetry at Cleveland Avenue combined storm overflow (CSO) in Scarborough beginning Monday 15 June.
Telemetry is the automated process of collecting data and transmitting it to a central location for monitoring and analysis. Data collection at storm overflows enables Yorkshire Water teams to track when they are operating and respond to anomalies or issues in the network.
The data also feeds Yorkshire Water’s Live Storm Overflow Map, which customers can use to see how recently individual storm overflows were in use.
Ciara Phillips, project manager at Yorkshire Water, said:
“Upgrading the telemetry at Cleveland Avenue will improve its performance and means that we can better monitor and predict when flow volume in the combined sewer network is at a high level, and when there might be a risk of a pollution incident – an unpermitted discharge from the storm overflow.
“We can then use this information to send out a response team to the overflow much quicker than previously possible, to see what’s going on and what we can do to proactively prevent discharges.
Contract partners, CHG Electrical, will begin the work on Cleveland Avenue overflow on Monday 15 June, and are set to finish by the end of the week.
Public consultation about significant, multi-million pound investment in Scarborouigh's wastewater network
Separately in Scarborough, Yorkshire Water has commenced a public consultation about a significant, multi-million pound investment in the area’s wastewater network, as it looks to transform how it manages wastewater and surface water in the area, and do its bit to improve bathing water quality.
The water company is currently exploring a range of options to help reduce releases from storm overflows, including:
Surface water sewers to divert rainwater into a separate sewer to reduce pressure on the network.
Underground storage tanks to store excess wastewater and reduce reliance on storm overflows during periods of bad weather.
Underground tunnels to divert wastewater away from the coastline to be treated at alternate upgraded treatment plants.
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With the UK government demanding a 50% reduction in storm overflow spills by 2029, the era of reactive management is over. Speaking in the House of Commons on 21 July 2025, then environment secretary Steve Reed said, “This Government will cut water companies’ sewage pollution in half by the end of the decade.”
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