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Sept 2023

Last Updated: 01/09/2023

Environment

Lib Dems criticise Yorkshire Water river health team project

by Calvin Robinson Chief Reporter

| 03 Sept, 2023

Yorkshire Water

Harrogate and Knaresborough Liberal Democrats have criticised a Yorkshire Water plan to set up a river health team.

The company announced this week it was setting up the department as part of a “joined-up, region-wide approach to river health” across Yorkshire.

Part of the remit of the department is to work with community groups to understand what is important to them and develop a way of working together to improve river health.

Yorkshire Water said it would be recruiting 16 new staff to the team, including an environmental investigation lead, river health improvement manager, river health partnership and community engagement advisor.

However, local Liberal Democrats have questioned whether it is something the company should have been pursuing anyway.

Tom Gordon, Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Harrogate and Knaresborough, said:

"Is this not something Yorkshire Water should have already been doing anyway?

"It's hardly surprising that Yorkshire is faced with polluted rivers when the water company responsible for them has not even had a dedicated team to deal with them - all because the water regulator and the Conservatives have let them off the hook. This sewage scandal must end.

“Yorkshire Water must guarantee that the cost of the new team comes from the company's eye-watering profits, rather than simply making consumers pay to clean up their mess in the middle of a cost of living crisis.

"I and my Liberal Democrat colleagues are calling for urgent reform of all water companies and a new regulator to hold them to account.”

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However, Andrew Jones, Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, described the initiative as a “positive move”.

He said:

“Most of the focus has been on the operation of storm overflows and household waste and these aspects are incredibly important.

“But I hope in addition to addressing this the team will go further and look at rainwater run-off from agricultural land which is often the largest component of river pollution containing animal waste and pesticides.

“I also would like to see the Yorkshire Water’s community engagement team really educating people about what can be put down drains and toilets safely. One of the reasons we see discharges from the storm overflows is because the sewers become blocked by sanitary products and cooking fat which have been disposed of incorrectly.

“It’s a big job and it looks like Yorkshire Water are assembling a big team. This is good news for Yorkshire’s rivers.”

Kevin Reardon, head of river heath at Yorkshire Water, said:

“We are committed as a business to playing our part to further improve river and coastal water quality around the region. The health of our rivers is a key national conversation, and we all have a lot to do to deliver investment in the areas that will make improvements to water quality.

“We know river and coastal water quality is a key priority for our customers and this new department illustrates our commitment to doing the right thing and working hard, alongside other stakeholders, as we begin our largest programme of environmental investment since privatisation.

“Yorkshire Water colleagues are passionate about the environment and we’re currently recruiting for 16 additional roles to help complete our team, which we believe will make further improvements to river health in the next two years and prepare ourselves for the next investment period 2025-2030.”

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Lib Dems criticise Yorkshire Water river health team project

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