Yorkshire Water to invest £1.4m to cut River Wharfe discharges

Up to 1,750 people swim in the River Wharfe at Ilkley on the hottest days of the year, Ilkley Clean River Group says

Yorkshire Water is to invest £1.4m in a bid to reduce the amount of waste it discharges into the River Wharfe.

The project in Ben Rhydding and Ilkley was part of a £180m project to cut storm overflow discharges, it said.

It added that nearly two miles of sewer would be lined to prevent groundwater flooding the network, which could mean a 15% cut in discharges into the river.

Campaigners welcomed the plan, but said Yorkshire Water should not pass the cost of the work on to the customer.

Yorkshire Water said it was investing £900,000 on the sewer lining work in Ben Rhydding.

Meanwhile, another £500,000 would be spent at Wyvil Crescent in nearby Ilkley to separate surface water from wastewater to reduce the frequency and duration of overflows.

Flow monitors had been used within the sewer network to identify the sections of sewer requiring additional lining work, according to the firm.

Yorkshire Water recently built a new 2,739 ft (835m) long sewer for Ilkley costing £15m.

The pipe runs underneath the A65 from Wharfe View car park to Ashlands playing field, before crossing under the A65 to Ilkley's wastewater treatment works.

Yorkshire Water has recently built a new sewer in Ilkley in a bid to help improve the water quality of the River Wharfe

Mudassar Ahmed, senior project manager at Yorkshire Water, said: "Since the bathing water at Ilkley was designated, we have been working hard to play our part to improve water quality in the Wharfe.

"These projects will significantly reduce discharges into the river from Ben Rhydding wastewater treatment works upstream of the bathing water and the overflow at Wyvil Crescent in Ilkley."

Nicola Shaw, chief executive officer of Yorkshire Water, said the work would improve the cleanliness of the River Wharfe and make it safer for swimmers.

However, a spokesman for Ilkley Clean River Group said: "While there is a plan to clean up their act at Ilkley, Yorkshire Water's customers should not be paying again."

Ilkley residents were already seeing a 6.5% increase in their bills, the spokesman added.

"We have paid our bills, with Yorkshire Water assuring us and the regulators they were compliant with the law.

"We now find the law states that pollution from storm overflows can only happen in exceptional circumstances and Yorkshire Water continues to pollute between 65 and 120-plus times a year from the sewage works."

The group has the backing of clean water campaigner and former Undertones singer Feargal Sharkey, who is expected to visit Ilkley at the weekend to discuss his concerns.