Yorkshire Water to spend £2.8m reducing sewage at Scarborough

Yorkshire Water has vowed to improve bathing water quality at Scarborough

Yorkshire Water is to spend £2.8m on measures to reduce the amount of sewage entering the sea at Scarborough.

The work would reduce the number of discharges from a storm overflow at Wheatcroft, the company said.

Director Ben Roche said: "Tackling storm overflows is a priority for us and this project is just a small part of our wider plans."

Subject to approval from the regulator Ofwat, the firm intends to invest £1.4bn reducing discharges by 2030.

Surfers Against Sewage says it took this image of what it describes as sewage waste on Scarborough's North Bay beach

According to Yorkshire Water, the project should limit the number of discharges at Wheatcroft to two per bathing season, which runs from March to September, and 10 per year.

Since monitoring was installed in 2020, the company said there had been, on average, 33 discharges per year at that location.

Data gathered by the campaign group Surfers Against Sewage suggested sewage had been discharged at Scarborough, as a whole, 72 times between March and September 2023.

Yorkshire Water said the measures would involve slowing the flow of wastewater during heavy or prolonged rainfall. Work is expected to begin in April and should be completed before the 2025 bathing season.

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Mr Roche said the announcement demonstrated Yorkshire Water's "commitment to further enhancing bathing waters".

He said the company was continuing to work with North Yorkshire Council and the Environment Agency "to identify opportunities" to improve water quality at the resort's South Bay.

Mr Roche added the company had decided to bring forward the work originally planned for "after 2035".

Sir Robert Goodwill, MP for Scarborough and Whitby, welcomed the announcement.

He said: "When we get heavy rain, the drainage system can be overwhelmed resulting in expectable discharges. This investment will bring this outfall back within parameters set by the government resulting in better bathing water quality."