Yorkshire Water Archives - Page 12 of 22

‘Unforeseen circumstances’ delay Oak Beck Bridge replacement — again

A starting date for a £1 million scheme to replace Oak Beck Bridge in Harrogate has still to be set.

North Yorkshire County Council planned to begin work in January last year after saying the current bridge on Skipton Road was in poor condition.

But in June last year, council bridges manager Philip Richardson said the scheme had been delayed due to “unforeseen circumstances” and it was still in talks with Yorkshire Water.

Ten months on, the Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire Council, which has replaced the county council, for an update.

In a statement that was identical in parts to the one issued last year, Mr Richardson said:

“We realise the importance of replacing Oak BeckBridge. Unfortunately, we have not been able to progress the scheme as quickly as we would have liked due to unforeseen circumstances.

“We are currently in discussions with Yorkshire Water about diverting a sewer to make way for the project. Please be assured that we will begin work as soon as we are able.”

The volume of traffic using Skipton Road is expected to increase after Tesco was granted planning permission to build a supermarket at the nearby junction of Skipton Road and Ripon Road.

When it was awarded the £1.1 million contract to demolish the bridge and build a new one, Leeds-based Howard Civil Engineering said the project would take 24 weeks.

Yorkshire Water discharged sewage into River Nidd 870 times in 2022

Yorkshire Water discharged sewage into the River Nidd 870 times last year.

The Environment Agency published 2022 monitoring data on Friday from all 10 water and sewerage companies in England.

It reveals the 870 sewage discharges into the Nidd lasted for a total of 6,177 hours. Dacre sewage pumping station alone saw 87 spills and 1,014 hours of sewage discharged.

By comparison, there were 318 spills into Oak Beck and Coppice Beck, which lasted for 438 hours.

Water companies are legally allowed to release sewage through overflow pipes when the sewage system becomes too full, which can happen during increased rainfall.

In a statement, Yorkshire Water said it was working to improve the number of times sewage is discharged into rivers in the county.

A spokesperson said:

“While 2022’s figures on overflows show improvement we understand they happen more than our customers would like, and we are determined to tackle this issue and do our bit for river health.”

However, the latest figures prompted Tom Gordon, the Liberal Democrats’ prospective parliamentary candidate for Harrogate and Knaresborough to call for a ban on sewage discharges in protected waters.

Tom Gordon

Mr Gordon also called for a ban on water company executives being paid multi-million pound bonuses.

He said:

“These figures are a damning verdict on the government’s attempt to stop Yorkshire Water from dumping sewage into our waterways.

“Local people are furious that our swimming locations and previous wildlife habitats have become poisoned with raw sewage. The Conservative government just doesn’t seem to care. I think it’s time the Environment Secretary resigned and was replaced with somebody who actually cares about our rivers and lakes.

“It is time ministers got tough with Yorkshire Water. They are raking in massive profits all whilst destroying the environment. Frankly, the whole thing stinks.”

The Stray Ferret approached Andrew Jones, Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, for comment, but did not receive a response.

Water minister Rebecca Pow said:

“The volume of sewage being discharged into our waters is unacceptable and we are taking action to make sure polluters are held to account. 

 ”By bringing in comprehensive monitoring – up from just 7% in 2010 to the most extensive level ever now being at 91% – this government and its regulators have enabled the extent of sewage discharges to be revealed, so that we are better equipped to tackle this challenge.”

Bacteria linked to sewage at ‘concerningly high’ levels in River Nidd

Recent testing of water pollution in the River Nidd has shown the harmful bacteria E. coli is at ‘concerningly high’ levels.

The testing is taking place to support a campaign to clean up the river so a section of it can eventually be designated Bathing Water Status.

This would mean people could enjoy wild swimming in the river by the Knaresborough Lido caravan park without falling ill.

Currently in England, only two rivers, including a section of the River Wharfe in Ilkley, have achieved the status.

Scientists say E. coli in water is a strong indicator of sewage or animal waste contamination and consuming it can lead to severe illness.

Last week in the House of Commons, MPs said raw sewage and micro plastics in the UK’s rivers were putting health and nature at risk.

The campaign in the Harrogate district is gathering momentum and is being led by Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, who secured a debate on the topic in Parliament in November.

Anglers and other concerned groups have set up Nidd Action Group and a meeting was held in Knaresborough this week about how to clean up the river.

A cross-party working group of councillors has also formed to help tackle the problem.

Cllr Monika Slater, Liberal Democrat councillor for Bilton Grange and New Park, updated councillors at North Yorkshire County Council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee today about how the campaign is going.

She said several councillors attended the Nidd Action Group meeting, adding:

“It was a really good turnout. There’s a lot of community support and estimates are around 70 people attended.”

Cllr Slater said anglers as well as scientists at the University of Leeds are testing the river once a month for pollutants and have found that E. coli is at “concerningly high” levels.

Testing will be increased to every fortnight from May 15, which is the beginning of the bathing season.

Earlier in the meeting, councillors heard from Sarah Robinson, corporate affairs advisor at Yorkshire Water.

Ms Robinson gave details about the scale of the problem in the Nidd and what the company is doing to improve its infrastructure.

Water companies are allowed to release sewage into rivers when the sewerage system is at risk of being overwhelmed, such as during heavy rainfall, through what are called storm overflows.

Ms Robinson said Yorkshire Water had 2,221 storm overflows during 2022 — a figure that is down slightly on last year’s number.

She said the company is set to spend up to £39 million by the end of the decade to improve its infrastructure in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

Ms Robinson added:

“We’ve got a long way to go before we’re up to the standard our customers expect.

“We will work out where best to spend our money to reduce our impact and spill less. That process is ongoing. The goal is to reduce the average spills by 20% by 2025.”

Weather warning for Harrogate district as cold snap looms

The Met Office has issued a weather warning for snow and ice across parts of the Harrogate district next week.

The yellow warning, lasting throughout Monday and Tuesday, comes as temperatures are predicted to drop below freezing over night.

Issuing the warning, the Met Office said:

“Snow showers are likely to cause some disruption to travel with a small chance of more widespread disruption for some.

“There is a small chance of travel delays on roads with some stranded vehicles and passengers, along with delayed or cancelled rail and air travel. There is a slight chance that some rural communities could become cut off [and] a small chance of injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces.

“There is a small chance that power cuts will occur and other services, such as mobile phone coverage, may be affected.”

Rural areas in the north and east of the Harrogate district could see temperatures down to -4C at night, while daytime temperatures are likely to be below 6C.

https://twitter.com/metoffice/status/1631604769587437568

Meanwhile, Yorkshire Water has advised residents to lag pipes that might become frozen if exposed to low temperatures, using foam insulation.

Emily Brady from Yorkshire Water said:

“Check for pipes, taps, cisterns, tanks and water meters in unheated areas that might be exposed to the cold. When you’ve found them, cut a piece of lagging to size and clip it on. If you’ve got some cable ties handy, pop a couple on to keep it secure.

“This will also help insulate your hot water system and could save you money on bills. You can also protect your outdoor taps with a tap cover to stop them freezing.

“If you turn your tap on to find no water, you might have a frozen pipe. First, check all exposed pipes for any leaks or bursts, if you can’t see anything then turn the tap on at your kitchen sink and heat the pipe with a hairdryer. Never ever use a naked flame to defrost a pipe.

“If a pipe has burst then turn your water off at the stop tap to minimise damage and water loss.”

Anyone who would be particularly vulnerable during water supply problems can join Yorkshire Water’s priority services register.

The Stray Ferret will have all the news of road conditions, school closures and more if the weather impacts on local services. Keep checking our website and social media channels for the latest updates.

New 4G mast will boost mobile coverage in Upper Nidderdale

Up to 1,000 Nidderdale residents, businesses and visitors are set to receive 4G phone coverage thanks to a new mast at Scar House reservoir.

The EE mast, which Yorkshire Water installed in partnership with BT, was erected primarily to enable water quality to be monitored remotely.

Yorkshire Water, which owns the reservoir, has installed monitors on water courses feeding Scar House.

Data transmitted by the mast will allow scientists and engineers to proactively select the best available water sources for transfer to its water treatment works.

Weather, temperature, and the condition of the moorland can impact the quality of water sources, as they can influence things like the amount of peat found in the water.

Managing water at its source is a more cost effective and environmentally friendly approach than traditional energy intensive and expensive “end of pipe” treatment solutions.

The better the water quality is at source, the less energy it takes to process at the treatment works, reducing Yorkshire Water’s carbon footprint.

Ted Rycroft, Yorkshire Water’s product and process manager, said:

“Water coming out of customers taps will continue to be the high quality that it always has been – the key change here is that the water coming into the treatment works will be of higher quality, and therefore require less treatment.

“That helps us to keep costs down for our customers and our operational emissions to a minimum, while maintaining our high standards of water quality.”

Ashish Gupta, BT’s managing director for corporate and public sector, hailed the project as “the perfect example of using tech to work smarter – benefiting both local people and the environment”.

Anglers fear worst for fish after raw sewage leaks into river in Ripon

Anglers in Ripon are worried that three years’ work may have been flushed away following a sewage leak on the River Ure.

The local fishing club, Ripon Piscatorial Association (RPA), has been implementing a three-year programme to restock the river with fish, but a cracked pipe at the end of December sent gallons of raw sewage into the Ure at Sharow, and the club says it may have jeopardised the project.

Nathan Proctor, match secretary of the RPA, which owns about a mile of the southern river bank downstream of the ruptured pipe, said:

“Where this leak has happened is right where we’ve been putting fish in. Any fry that hatched out this last year will be struggling.

“We put some roach in the week before Christmas, and we were due to put some barbel in this month. They’re not cheap. As a club we’ve had to spend a lot of money to make sure we keep our members, but if this has killed the fish, we can’t afford another three-year restocking programme. We won’t find out how serious it is until the summer, when water levels are lower.”

Yorkshire Water said it had isolated the broken pipe, which lies five metres below ground, within 45 minutes of first being told of the problem on December 30, and that no sewage has been released from it since.

The company has been transporting sewage from the pipe in tankers to Ripon Wastewater Treatment Works while it replaces the section of pipe, but both tanking and repairs at the site on Sharow Lane have been halted in recent days by flooding.

James Thornborough, a retiree who lives nearby, said Yorkshire Water had failed to keep local residents and stakeholders notified of the dangers or developments arising from the incident.

Mr Thornborough, who was formerly world head of crisis and emergency management for oil companies including BP and Petronas, said:

“This is a textbook example of how not to respond to an emergency.

“I would grade this as a Category 2 incident according to the Environment Agency’s rating system – meaning it’s significant – and yet there’s been no joined-up response. There’s been no information shared.”

A spokesperson for Yorkshire Water said:

“We have informed the Environment Agency of the situation, as required by law, but there is no mechanism in place for informing anyone else. That said, we will be in touch with the RPA.

“If there was major pollution we would of course be in contact with them anyway, but this was minor, and the impact minimal.”

Repair work on the pipe was expected before the weekend to last for a couple of weeks, but can now only resume once flood water levels have dropped enough to enable workers to access the site again.

Ripon sewage leak: tree felled as repair work set to last two weeks

Work to repair a leaking sewer pipe on the River Ure at Sharow, near Ripon, looks set to last another fortnight.

Several vehicles and staff have been working round the clock for more than a week to fix the pipe at the pumping station on Sharow Lane.

Yorkshire Water said on Wednesday the leak had caused “short term” discharge into the Ure on December 30.

Yesterday a large tree was felled at the site where work is taking place.

In an update today. a Yorkshire Water spokesman said:

“The repairs, due to the depth and complexity, could take two weeks to complete. Our teams are working hard to carry out the work as quickly as possible and we apologise for the disruption caused.

“The length of the repair is due to the depth of the excavation and location which makes it complex.”

River Ure sewage discharge at Sharow (1)

Vehicles are still at the scene of the incident.

The spokesman said the tree had to be felled because nearby repair work was taking place five metres below the surface and “there were concerns the dig could cause the tree to fall onto the site where people were working”.

He added there had been no further discharge since the pipe was isolated on December 30 and Yorkshire Water had not received any reports of fish deaths.

One Sharow villager, who asked not to be named, said the number of vehicles working at the site over several days suggested “the scale and severity of what’s happened must be significant”.

Yorkshire Water, however, has said it “believes there was a low impact on the environment due to the speed at which the pipe was isolated”, adding:

“Our teams attended quickly, isolated the main and began a tankering operation to prevent further wastewater entering the river and ensure customers could continue to use their services, as well as informing the Environment Agency of the incident.”

Sewage discharged into River Ure near Ripon after pipe leaks

Sewage has been discharged into the River Ure following a leak near Ripon.

Yorkshire Water said an issue with a sewer pipe at its pumping station on Sharow Lane led to a “short term” discharge on Friday, December 30.

The company said the Environment Agency has been informed of the incident.

A spokesperson for Yorkshire Water said the pipe has since been isolated and tankers are in place to prevent any further waste from entering the river.

Temporary traffic lights are also in place while workers repair the pipe.

Temporary lights on Sharow Lane as Yorkshire Water repairs sewage pipe.

A spokesperson added:

“Unfortunately we suffered an issue with a sewer pipe on Sharow Lane, Ripon, on 30 December, which caused a short term discharge of wastewater into the River Ure.

“Our teams attended quickly, isolated the main and began a tankering operation to prevent further wastewater entering the river and ensure customers could continue to use their services, as well as informing the Environment Agency of the incident.

“Due to the depth of the repair tankering has remained in place, with traffic management measures to allow this to be done safely. A team is now on site to complete the repair and return the network to normal operation. Once the repair is completed, tankering will be stopped.”

The Stray Ferret has approached the Environment Agency for comment.

Burst pipe leaves Harrogate homes and businesses without water

A burst water main has left homes without water and affected businesses in Harrogate this morning.

Yorkshire Water said it was working to repair the fault on Wetherby Road at 5.30am.

⚠️#WetherbyRoad #HG3 ⚠️
Apologies to customers experiencing low pressure or no water due to a burst water main, we will restore supplies as soon as possible. Thank you – Sam pic.twitter.com/ym1zhsszCE

— Yorkshire Water Help (@YWHelp) December 17, 2022

Farm shop Fodder posted on social media that it was unable to open its cafe this morning because of a lack of running water.

Its shop remains open as normal, with eight days to go before Christmas.

A Yorkshire Water spokesman said:

“We are currently dealing with a high number of burst pipes in the region due to the weather conditions. We are aware of the burst on Wetherby Road and will be attending to complete repairs as soon as possible. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.”

Yorkshire Water also said this morning it was readying its leakage detection and repair teams for an increase in bursts and leaks caused by an expected thaw.

It urged homeowners to take measures to prevent damage.

Homes are particularly at risk if they have exposed water pipes on the outside of the house or an outdoor tap, which are vulnerable to the cold weather. The spokesman said:

“One way to prevent a frozen pipe is to wrap them in foam insulation to protect them from the cold weather, which is also known as lagging.”

Also this morning, Harrogate Town confirmed its fixture this afternoon at Doncaster Rovers has been called off because of a frozen pitch.

Burst water main traffic problems set to continue in Nidderdale

Update: Yorkshire Water emailed on the morning of Friday, December 16 to say: The repair is complete and our teams will be reinstating and reopening to road as soon as possible.

Traffic problems caused by a burst water main in Dacre are expected to continue until next week.

Buses, including school services, were diverted again this morning due to the problem.

A spokesman for The Harrogate Bus Company said:

“A burst water main at Dacre is leading to diversions affecting route 24 and school service 620H.

“Currently Yorkshire Water advise that the affected section of road will remain closed until Monday (19 December): if that date is brought forward, we will of course advise customers.

“In the meantime and until Yorkshire Water’s repairs are completed, buses are unable to serve stops between Fountains Bents and Dacre Banks.

He added:

“The 620H is serving the top section of Dacre from Summerbridge. Students waiting at the Providence Chapel bus stop can walk a short distance to board the 620H, which enables the bus to turn around at Dacre Lane before going back past Summerbridge towards Clint Bank, then continuing via Birstwith to resume its normal route at Elton Lane.

“Early contact was made with all schools involved yesterday (Wednesday) and a regular driver is allocated to the 620H which also helps with communication.”

The spokesman said the delay to today’s 10am route 24 departure from Harrogate was caused by “mechanical issues with the bus”, adding:

“Our engineer was able to carry out roadside repairs: however this, plus the diversion at Dacre, led to this journey being delayed. Our apologies to customers for this delay.”

A Yorkshire Water spokesman said:

“Our teams are aware of a leak on a water main in Dacre. We are working to repair this as quickly as possible and apologise for any inconvenience caused.”

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