New sewer to halve river discharges, Yorkshire Water says

A remote-controlled tunnelling machine is being used to lay a new 800m (2,624ft) sewer under the A65 in Ilkley

Work to halve the amount of sewage discharged into the River Wharfe during periods of bad weather has begun.

A remote-controlled tunnelling machine is being used to lay a new 800m (2,624ft) sewer under the A65 in Ilkley, West Yorkshire.

Yorkshire Water said it would halve the volume of discharges from the town's Rivadale Combined Sewer Overflow and reduce their frequency by 40%.

Work on the scheme is due to be completed by early 2024.

Ben Roche, director of wastewater, said: "Laying a new sewer to accommodate higher flows of wastewater during periods of heavy and prolonged rainfall will ultimately reduce the number and volume of discharges... helping to improve water quality in the Wharfe."

The River Wharfe in Ilkley is a popular swimming and paddling site

Mr Roche added the technology being used would also enable any disruption caused by the work to be kept to a minimum, with only "limited signs of our activity underground".

Ahead of the work starting, the remote-controlled tunnelling machine was blessed by Skipton's Reverend Father Christopher Angel.

Rev Fr Christopher Angel blessed the tunnelling machinery ahead of the project getting under way

A small statue of St Barbara - the patron saint of miners and tunnellers - is also due to be erected at the site.

Ilkley Wharfe View car park will be closed while work takes place.

For part of its course the River Wharfe marks the county boundary between West and North Yorkshire.

A stretch of the river in Ilkley became the first in England to be a designated bathing site in 2020, meaning pollution will be regularly monitored.