Yorkshire Water boss apologises for sewage discharges into rivers

Nicola Shaw says she is sorry for sewage discharges into rivers

Yorkshire Water's boss has apologised to customers for sewage being discharged into the region's rivers.

In a letter to every household, chief executive Nicola Shaw said the company would invest £180m in reducing sewage leaks from storm overflows.

She apologised on behalf of the company, adding: "We should have acted more quickly to change the situation."

The firm would also spend £50m improving the quality of the River Wharfe, Ms Shaw added.

Earlier this year, Ms Shaw gave up her bonus - which could have been up to £800,000 if the company met the year's performance targets - following public anger over sewage pollution in the county's rivers.

'People are angry'

In her letter, she said: "There has been a huge amount of criticism of, and anger at, the water industry over recent months.

"I get why people are angry - seeing sewage in our rivers and seas isn't right.

"We should have a system that befits the 21st Century. So, on behalf of Yorkshire Water, I am sorry."

Storm overflow discharges happen when the sewerage system is at risk of being overwhelmed, usually in rainy weather when there is more water in the system.

Yorkshire Water said it planned to target improvements at 190 overflows which caused the most discharges.

Three of the worst rivers for raw sewage discharge in England and Wales are in Yorkshire, according to recent Environment Agency figures.

Campaign group Top of the Poops analysed figures for the amount of sewage spilled into rivers.

The Aire, the Calder and the Ouse all featured in the top 10, with Yorkshire Water pumping sewage directly into them on more than 10,000 occasions in 2021.

The area of the River Wharfe in Ilkley, West Yorkshire, is a popular spot for paddling and fishing

Yorkshire Water said improvement work would include building more storage for wastewater, measures to slow the flow of rainwater before it reached sewers, and changes to the operation of treatment works.

Ms Shaw said: "Our teams are already on the ground working on the first of these overflows and the investment will help to reduce discharges by at least 20%, but in most cases we'll be going way beyond that and reducing them significantly."

The investment would be partly funded by shareholders, the firm said.

Yorkshire Water said it also aimed to improve the quality of bathing water in the river Wharfe at Ilkley after it was given a rating of "poor".

The company said it started tunnelling for an underground sewer to double the capacity of the sewage system in the town in March as part of a £15m project expected to be complete by the end of 2023.

The firm said it also planned to invest more than £50m in improving the quality of the water along the river.