New Ilkley sewer to cut river discharges completed, Yorkshire Water says

Remote-controlled tunnelling equipment was used to build the sewer

The construction of a new sewer designed to cut waste discharges into the River Wharfe has been completed.

Work began in April on the 2,740ft (835m) tunnel under the A65 in Ilkley, West Yorkshire.

Yorkshire Water has said it would halve the amount of sewage discharged into the river during heavy rain.

Remote tunnelling equipment used to dig the sewer has now been removed from the site.

Ben Roche, Yorkshire Water's director of wastewater, said there was "some final work to do in the coming weeks to fully commission the new sewer and enable it to start receiving Ilkley's wastewater".

The sewer is designed to reduce sewage discharges into the Wharfe by accommodating higher volumes of wastewater during periods of heavy and prolonged rainfall.

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

In 2020, a stretch of the river in Ilkley became the first in England to be designated a bathing site, meaning its pollution levels are monitored by the Environment Agency to ensure the water is safe for swimming.

It followed a campaign by residents who said they had seen human waste on the river bank.

Yorkshire Water said work would begin next week on a smaller extension to the new tunnel.

The extension is expected to take four weeks to build but will not become operational until 2026 because "additional upgrades are required on our network to enable it to function as designed".