Yorkshire Water pays £235,000 for illegal Harrogate sewage discharge

Yorkshire Water has agreed to pay £235,000 to charity for illegally pumping sewage into Hookstone Beck in Harrogate.

The Environment Agency said today the company breached its environmental permit by discharging sewage from its Stray Road combined sewer overflow into the beck, which flows between Hookstone Road and Crimple Beck.

Following an Environment Agency investigation, Yorkshire Water volunteered to make amends for its offence.

It agreed to pay the sum to Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, which will use the donation on environmental improvements in North Yorkshire including native crayfish conservation and reed bed management at Ripon City Wetlands.

The Environment Agency said the Stray Road combined sewer overflow, near Tewit Well, has an environmental permit which allows a discharge into the beck when the storm sewage facility is fully utilised due to rainfall or snow melt.

On 27 August 2015, it discharged illegally during dry weather and sewage fungus was evident on the bed of Hookstone Beck.

Yorkshire Water has now upgraded its telemetry to allow continuous monitoring of the storm overflow.

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The company agreed to an enforcement undertaking, which is a voluntary offer made by companies and individuals to make amends for their offending, and usually includes a donation to a wildlife charity to carry out environmental

Claire Barrow, Environment Agency area environment manager, said:

“Sewage pollution can be devastating to human health, local biodiversity and out environment. Storm overflows must only be used under strict permitted conditions that control their environmental impact.

“We are holding the water industry to account like never before and while we will always take forward prosecutions in the most serious cases, enforcement undertakings are an effective enforcement tool to allow companies to put things right and contribute to environmental improvements.

“They allow polluters to correct and restore the harm caused to the environment and prevent repeat incidents by improving their procedures, helping ensure future compliance with environmental requirements.

A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said it had made “significant improvements in our operations since this incident in 2015″, adding:

“When things go wrong, we understand we have a responsibility to make it right.”

A Yorkshire Wildlife Trust statement said:

“Nature is in crisis and we firmly believe polluters causing damage to the environment must make amends, including through clean-up operations and fines.”

Flooding ‘expected’ at caravan park in Harrogate district

The Environment Agency has warned that flooding is ‘expected’ at a caravan park in the Harrogate district.

The caravan park at Roecliffe, near Boroughbridge, is situated alongside the River Ure.

At 12.29am this morning the Environment Agency urged people in the area to ‘act now’. It said:

“Flooding is expected in this area. This means properties are at risk of flooding. Please take action to protect yourself and your property and monitor local weather and river conditions.

“Avoid contact with, walking or driving through flood water. Consider activating any property flood protection products you may have.”

The government department also activated a less severe flood alert for the River Ure at 3.19am this morning.

It applies to low-lying land including agricultural land and local roads in the areas around Masham, Boroughbridge, Aldborough and Bishop Monkton. The alert said:

“Flooding is possible in this area. Monitor local water levels and weather conditions. Avoid using low lying footpaths or entering areas prone to flooding.”

Last night the Environment Agency issued a flood alert for the Upper River Nidd catchment area, which remains active.

A map showing where flood alerts and warnings are active.

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Flood alert issued for Upper River Nidd catchment

The Environment Agency has issued a flood alert tonight for the Upper River Nidd catchment area.

The stretch of the river from its source in Great Whernside, down to Pateley Bridge and as far south as Birstwith is covered by the alert, which was introduced at 7.29pm.

It applies to land around the Upper Nidd and its tributaries including How Stean Beck, Blayshaw Gill, Ramsgill Beck, Lul Beck, Foster Beck, Fosse Gill, Fell Beck and Darley Beck.

The alert says:

“Flooding is possible in this area. Monitor local water levels and weather conditions. Avoid using low lying footpaths or entering areas prone to flooding. Start acting on your flood plan if you have one.”

There are currently 106 flood alerts and 29 more serious flood warnings active in England.

Many are in the west of the country, which experienced the worst of today’s persistent rain.

The unsettled weather is forecast to remain in the Harrogate district for the foreseeable future.

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