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23
Jun
Harrogate Spring Water gives details of pipeline project and roadworks
Roadworks associated with Harrogate Spring Water’s pipeline project could last for another eight months.
The news emerged in responses to questions posed by the Stray Ferret about the project to construct a pipeline from Killinghall to the firm’s headquarters on Harlow Moor Drive in Harrogate.
The scheme has led to significant disruption already, with four-way lights at the Curious Cow roundabout leading to lengthy tailbacks.
Numerous readers have been in touch wanting to know more about the roadworks as well as the project itself.
There have been concerns about the merits of abstracting more water from the ground, particularly after drought was declared in Yorkshire this week.
A spokesperson for Harrogate Spring Water, which is part of French multinational Danone, confirmed the pipelines were connecting a new aquifer.
But they added said amount of water the company could extract had not changed:
Our abstraction licence grants us the ability to extract up to 464 million litres of water a year from local underground sources. This will not change as a result of this work. Our source is vital to our business and its sustainable management is at the core of our operations. As such, we do not abstract a source to the maximum capacity allowed under the license.
Harrogate Spring Water has a long-standing commitment to responsible water stewardship, operating under strict regulatory controls and sustainable extraction limits set by the Environment Agency, with regular monitoring to safeguard local water resources.
For comparison, Fewston Reservoir’s capacity is 350 million litres; Swinsty Reservoir’s is 390 million.
‘Safeguarding resilience’
The spokesperson added the company “sources its water from carefully managed underground aquifers in the local area, including its original site near the Pinewoods” but said it could not say how many aquifers it used for "food security reasons".
They added that the current project involved “infrastructure work to support the continuity and security of its existing water supply”, adding: “These works focus solely on safeguarding the resilience of the current operation.”
Robert Harper, managing director of Pharmall Country Store
Harrogate Spring Water has paid £600 for a licence to conduct the roadworks.
The impact of the four-way lights at the Curious Cow prompted Robert Harper, the owner of Pharmall Country Stores on Otley Road, to speak out about the impact of frequent roadworks on businesses like his.
We asked Harrogate Spring Water for further details of the roadworks.
The spokesperson replied:
The new pipeline project includes several phases covering approximately 3 to 4 kilometres of pipe installation, running from Oaker Bank, through Harlow Moor Road, Penny Pot Lane, to the Jubilee roundabout area and adjacent sites. It includes periods of pressure testing and reinstatement works built in and are scheduled to run until February 2026.
We have obtained the necessary Section 50 Street Works licences to carry out works on public highways, in accordance with local authority requirements. The company is working closely with Yorkshire Water and North Yorkshire Council to manage access, works approvals and reinstatement. Permissions for any work on private land would be managed separately, in agreement with landowners, as part of the infrastructure development process.
Harrogate Spring Water has reviewed all possible options to minimise disruption.
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