Yorkshire Water has begun work on projects in the villages of Hebden and Malham in North Yorkshire to reduce the number and frequency of discharges from the sewer network into the River Wharfe and River Aire, respectively.
The total £1.1 million investment forms part of the utility’s overarching £1.5 billion programme to reduce the operation of storm overflows across the region between 2025 and 2030.
The projects will see parts of the combined sewer networks in Hebden and Malham relined to reduce infiltration of groundwater into the sewer network. This will in turn reduce the amount of flow in the sewer, making storm overflow discharges from Hebden Wastewater Treatment Works and Malham Wastewater Treatment Works less likely.
This marks seven lining projects to have started in North Yorkshire, with work also taking place in Weeton, Wass, Snape, Myton-on-Swale, and Great Barugh.
The wider programme follows a £180 million investment over the previous two years, which saw more than 100 storm overflows upgraded throughout the region.
Jack Williams, project manager at Yorkshire Water, said:
“Our storm overflows are operating more often than we, and our customers, would like, and we’re continuing our hard work to bring the number of discharges down. It’s brilliant to keep building on the work we have already started in North Yorkshire. “
Contract partners, United Infrastructure, are completing the project, which will take 4-6 weeks in Hebden, and around 5-6 weeks in Malham.
Over 450 storm overflow discharge reduction projects will be delivered by 2030 – all of which are currently in planning and design or have already started on site. The very first project, in Beeston, Leeds, recently completed, and is delivering benefits to the River Aire.
Jack Williams added:
“Our wider investment into reducing discharges from CSOs is a significant and challenging programme of works, but one that’s vitally important for health of watercourses across the region, and one that we are absolutely committed to.”
Storm overflows are designed to act as a relief valve for the combined sewer network, which carries both wastewater and surface water, during periods of heavy or prolonged rainfall. They discharge when the system is at capacity to prevent flows backing up and flooding homes and gardens.
Across Yorkshire, the need for storm overflows to operate will be reduced by:
- Building new surface water sewers, to separate surface water and wastewater so that wastewater networks aren’t impacted by bad weather
- Installing underground storage tanks, to build additional capacity into the network
- Implementing nature-based solutions, to build additional capacity into the network
- Implementing sustainable drainage systems, to slow the flow of surface water into the combined network
- Lining combined sewer networks, to reduce rainwater and groundwater infiltration
The storm overflow project is part of Yorkshire Water’s £8.3 billion investment into its services and the environment over the next five years.
Discharges from storm overflows in Yorkshire decreased by 24.5% in 2025, when compared with the previous 12 months.
Albion Water, the first NAV (New Appointment & Variation) to have been established in1999 and now under the ownership of SDS Water Group, has appointed Andy Holland as its new Director of Business Development.
UK water companies are invited to join an upcoming webinar which will explore how the sector can take indirect potable reuse (IPR) from concept to full-scale operational reality.
James Sumsion, CEO of predictive water intelligence specialists Kohtari, says the water sector needs to take a giant leap forward, so that it can anticipate and act upon water quality issues - rather than merely react.
Ray Moulds, Sales Director at Flood Control International, takes a look at how automated sliding floodgates are supporting secondary containment at water and sewerage company sites.
Hear how Scottish Water has completed its £235 million Ayrshire Glasgow Resilience Project - customers across Greater Glasgow, Ayrshire and East Renfrewshire will now benefit from a more secure and resilient water supply.
Hear how United Utilities is accelerating its investment to reduce spills from storm overflows across the Northwest.
Find out more about the remarkable career opportunities on offer at WSP - scroll down to watch the inspirational video.