Environment Agency | The Environment Agency (EA) has secured £2.35 million from Yorkshire Water for environmental improvements following a series of pollution incidents.
The EA accepted seven enforcement undertakings after separate pollution incidents at wastewater treatment works and sewer infrastructure across the region.
The Yorkshire Water incidents, which took place between 2019 and 2023, involved unauthorised sewage discharges into rivers and watercourses including the Rivers Ure, Dearne, Aire, and Calder.
The cash will go to environmental charities to bolster improvements, and includes improvements to nature reserves, wetland habitat creation and restoring flood plains.
Yorkshire Water made the enforcement undertaking offers after Environment Agency investigations into the incidents.
Yorkshire Water will make the following financial contributions:
- £500,000 to Don Catchment Rivers Trust for the failure of a storm tank at Lundwood Wastewater Treatment Works, Barnsley, and unauthorised sewage discharges into the River Dearne.
- £500,000 to Don Catchment Rivers Trust for an unauthorised sewage discharge from a burst rising main at Stainforth Huddle Grounds, Doncaster.
- £350,000 to Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust for an unauthorised sewage discharge from Leyburn Sewage Treatment Works into the River Ure.
- £300,000 to Aire Rivers Trust for three unauthorised sewage discharges into the River Aire from Knostrop Wastewater Treatment Works in Leeds.
- £300,000 split between Yorkshire Wildlife Trust (£150,000) and Calder and Colne Rivers Trust (£150,000) for an unauthorised sewage discharge at High Royd Towpath Combined Sewer Overflow, Sowerby Bridge, into the River Calder.
- £250,000 to Calder and Colne Rivers Trust for an unauthorised sewage discharge from a collapsed combined sewer into Cockleshaw Beck, East Bierley, Kirklees.
- £150,000 to Yorkshire Wildlife Trust for an unauthorised sewage discharge at Laithes Lane in Athersley South in Barnsley.
In addition to the financial contributions, Yorkshire Water has carried out a wide range of remedial actions at each site as part of the sanctions. This includes repairing and upgrading infrastructure, installing new alarm and telemetry systems, commissioning ecological surveys, and updating operational procedures.
The company will also pay all the EA’s investigation costs.
