A section of Wetherby Road in Harrogate reopened this morning after a burst pipe forced it to close for three days.

The busy section between Masham Close and Hookstone Road is now open. The road has also been resurfaced.

Its closure on Friday just before rush hour caused misery for motorists. North Yorkshire County Council, the highways authority, said it hoped it would reopen over the weekend.

But Yorkshire Water said the burst pipe caused “significant damage” and engineers needed more time to complete repairs.

It was thought the road could be closed until tomorrow.

This was the road on Saturday while repairs were ongoing.

Long delays were reported across the weekend with commuters having to find alternative routes.

A spokesperson for Yorkshire Water said:

“Our teams have worked hard throughout the weekend to ensure disruption caused by the burst pipe on Wetherby Road were kept to a minimum. Our work has been completed ahead of schedule and the road has now been reopened.”

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Wetherby Road in Harrogate is expected to reopen on Tuesday after a water pipe burst yesterday.

The part closure of such a busy road caused long delays yesterday as drivers sought alternative routes. This looks set to continue all weekend and Monday.

Wetherby Road remains closed from Masham Close to the junction with Hookstone Road.

Yorkshire Water has confirmed that its engineers have now fixed the broken pipe.

North Yorkshire County Council previously said the aim was to reopen the road this weekend.

However, that has been pushed back. The road has suffered “significant damage” so workers need more time to fix it.

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It’s unclear at this time whether Wetherby Road will be open for the morning commute on Tuesday at this time.

A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said:

“The burst pipe on Wetherby Road has now been repaired. It caused significant damage to the road surface in the area and our teams will be working throughout the weekend to reinstate the road and reduce disruption to a minimum.”

An eyewitness told the Stray Ferret:

“They were working on it on Friday morning and they said they might have to close the road, I think they left it as late as they could.

“But it was the worst timing really, on a Friday afternoon.”

Wetherby Road in Harrogate has been closed in both directions just as the evening rush hour begins, due to a broken water pipe.

Heavy traffic is already starting to build up around the area.

The busy commuter route could be closed for more than a day between Masham Close and the junction with Hookstone Road, according to North Yorkshire County Council.

The council said on Yorkshire Water‘s engineers “were on scene and aim to reinstate the road over the weekend”. It apologised for any inconvenience.

Wetherby Road in #Harrogate is closed in both directions from Masham Close to the junction with Hookstone Road.

This is due to a collapsed @YorkshireWater pipe.

Their engineers are on scene & aim to reinstate the road over the weekend.

Apologies for any inconvenience. pic.twitter.com/3LzLPmoFeI

— North Yorkshire Council (@northyorksc) June 25, 2021

A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said:

“Due to a burst water pipe, we’ve had to close Wetherby Road from Masham Close to the junction with Hookstone Road.

“Our contractors are on with fixing the pipe and assessing the work that needs to be done to get the road open safely again. We’re sorry about any disruption this causes.”

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Clean water is being pumped into the River Nidd amid hopeful signs that most fish survived last weekend’s category one major pollution incident.

A 12-mile stretch between Gouthwaite reservoir and Hampsthwaite turned chocolate brown on Saturday, prompting fears for the predominantly trout and grayling that inhabit the water and other forms of river life.

Yorkshire Water issued a statement on Sunday saying it had suspended safety work at Gouthwaite by its contractor Mott MacDonald Bentley, which it is thought may have stirred up huge quantities of silt.

The River Nidd turned chocolate brown.

The company is excavating a trench as part of a long-term project to install a siphon at Gouthwaite dam to enable it to rapidly reduce water levels in an emergency.

Yorkshire Water has declined to comment since the weekend when asked by the Stray Ferret what action it has taken this week and whether it had conducted an environmental impact assessment before the project began.

John Shillcock, president of Nidderdale Angling Club, last night told the Stray Ferret he had heard from multiple sources Yorkshire Water has installed a pipe and was pumping in clean water from further up the reservoir and over the dam. He added:

“The river is much clearer and the cloudiness has passed on downstream.

“The Nidderdale AC secretary and I visited the river today and were much relieved to see that fish were rising and there was evidence of aquatic insect life.

“So this is good news for now, but Yorkshire Water have not made any attempt to let us or other interested parties know what measures they are intending to take to enable them to continue with the siphon installation without the same thing happening again.”

No fish deaths reported

The Stray Ferret asked the Environment Agency, which declared a category one major pollution incident, if it could clarify what action had been taken this week.

A spokesman said it was an ongoing investigation that would take a while to conclude and no further details were available. He added there were no reports of any fish deaths so far.

The River Nidd last weekend.

Gouthwaite, which is three miles north of Pateley Bridge, is one of three reservoirs in upper Nidderdale, along with Scar House and Angram, which are further upstream.

The other two supply water but Gouthwaite was built to regulate the flow of the upper Nidd.

Gouthwaite is also a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest in Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

Yorkshire Water is to release a further 100 water voles at Timble Ings woods in the Washburn Valley this week.

Water voles are one of the fastest declining mammals in Britain, losing 97% of their former geographical range, and have been identified as a key species for conservation in the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Surveys of the area suggest the 100 water voles released in September 2020 have become established in the woodland, with feeding signs, faeces and burrows all present.

These have been spotted up to 500m from the original release site, indicating the water voles are settling into their new habitat.

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The project forms part of Yorkshire Water’s Water Works for Wildlife initiative, which will see £1.6m invested in 15 sites across Yorkshire in a bid to boost biodiversity, enhance habitats, benefit wildlife and engage local communities.

Lee Pitcher, head of partnerships at Yorkshire Water, said:

“We’re pleased to see evidence the water voles we released in September have settled into their habitat, with piles of nibbled grass and stems, as well as droppings spotted recently. Now they are established, we’re now moving onto the next stage – a second release in the area to further boost the population.

“We also have plans in place to extend the habitat available for the water voles later this year, with new ponds set to be created, which will allow the population to continue to expand and take advantage of the perfect habitat Timble Ings Woods provides these creatures.”

The Environment Agency has opened a category 1 major pollution incident after a 12-mile stretch of the River Nidd turned chocolate brown.

Experts are still trying to assess the extent of the damage to fish and other river life between Gouthwaite reservoir and Hampsthwaite after huge quantities of silt flowed downstream on Saturday.

Anglers and ecologists are calling for action against whoever is responsible and urging the Environment Agency and Yorkshire Water, which was carrying out safety work at Gouthwaite, to come up with a recovery plan.

An Environment Agency spokesman said today it “continued to investigate” the Yorkshire Water works, which is is thought may have stirred up the silt that flowed downstream on Saturday.

The spokesman added:

“Large quantities of silt in a river can harm fish and smother aquatic plants and invertebrates, starving them of light and oxygen.

“Whilst there is no longer any silt entering the river system, it may still be visible as it moves downstream. The Environment Agency continue to monitor the situation and assess the impacts to determine what further action may be necessary.”

With the water still discoloured, it remains difficult to assess the impact on river life.

The work at Gouthwaite dam

Dr. John Shillcock, president of Nidderdale Angling Club and a former ecology officer in the area, said:

“In my past experiences, quantities of sediment of this type block out light and can reduce oxygen levels in the river, harming or even killing river life including invertebrates and other organisms on which fish and other river life depend.

“We are awaiting reliable data on the level of sedimentation before we can assess what damage has been done to an extremely precious river system.

“We would like Yorkshire Water to work closely with the Environment Agency to collect as much data and samples as to work out the best course of action to minimise the immediate danger to river life, and to build a deliverable long-term strategy to enable the river to recover from this avoidable incident as quickly as possible.”

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The affected stretch of the Nidd is known for grayling and trout.

One angler, who asked not to be named, said the amount of silt would harm oxygen levels on which fish depend. He added:

“There should be some sort of action against whoever is responsible for this. It is an environmental disaster.”

‘Heartbreaking to see’

Alastair Ferneley, vicar of Holy Trinity Church, Dacre Banks, said:

“It’s just heartbreaking to see at the moment — it makes me feel sick in the pit of the stomach.

“As I understand it the slit could choke all the bottom dwelling invertebrates and take out the entire food chain — all the things I watch for: dippers, kingfishers, otters, most of the flying insects that spawn in the rivers, the birds and bats that feed on them.

“I’m hoping it won’t be as bad as a I fear it could be. What we need is a good flood to two to clear the silt out and quickly, but not sure that’s very likely.

“It’s a taste of how fragile the environment and everything that depends on it is.”

A Yorkshire Water spokeswoman said it had nothing to add to its statement yesterday, which said it was working with the Environment Agency to investigate what had caused the sediment in the River Nidd to be disturbed. The statement added:

“We’ve temporarily suspended some work our capital partners Mott MacDonald Bentley were doing upstream at Gouthwaite reservoir while we investigate.”

The River Nidd has turned chocolate brown amid fears for the lives of thousands of fish following an environmental ‘disaster’ over the weekend.

Several miles of the Nidd between Gouthwaite reservoir and Hampsthwaite have been affected.

It is believed safety work by Yorkshire Water at Gouthwaite reservoir, which is just north of Pateley Bridge, may have stirred up silt deposits.

A Yorkshire Water spokeswoman said:

“We’re working with the Environment Agency to investigate what’s caused the sediment in the River Nidd to be disturbed.

“We’ve temporarily suspended some work our capital partners Mott Macdonald Bentley were doing upstream at Gouthwaite reservoir while we investigate.”

The work at Gouthwaite dam

John Shillcock, an ecologist who is president of Nidderdale Angling Club, described the incident as an “environmental disaster”, the scale of which remained unclear. He added:

“It is impossible to know at this stage what the effect has been on the fish and invertebrates.

“There is no sign of rising or dead fish and it is not safe to wade to take invertebrate samples. There is no visibility to know where you are putting your feet.”

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He said Yorkshire Water was excavating a trench as part of a long-term project to install a siphon at Gouthwaite dam to enable it to rapidly reduce water levels in an emergency.

He added it appeared this had churned up 120 years of accumulated silt, which had flowed from the reservoir into the river via the discharge control valves.

Mr Shillcock said the angling club had asked to be kept informed about the works and it wanted to know whether an environmental assessment had been conducted to assess risks ahead of works of this magnitude.

He said the Nidd from the dam downstream was a lovely upland trout and grayling water.

The water, he added had been “crystal clear” and of such quality there had been no need to stock fish for the last three years.

These pictures taken yesterday show the colour of the water.

Yorkshire Water has urged visitors to its reservoirs not to swim in the water as the weather warms up.

The warning comes after several tragic water-related incidents in the UK. It also comes after an increase in reports of people entering reservoirs.

Anyone who does see someone in the water in need of help should call 999 and ask for the fire service immediately.

Gaynor Craigie, head of land and property at Yorkshire Water, said:

“As the weather warms up it is important visitors to our reservoirs are not tempted to get into the water to cool off.

“Low water temperatures can cause cold water shock that may lead to hyperventilation, increased blood pressure, breathing difficulties and ultimately death.

“Underwater machinery and the currents associated with their operation are also a potential hazard for people choosing to enter the water.”

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A man who fell out of a canoe in the River Ure at West Tanfield, near Ripon, died on May 21. A second man in the canoe managed to get out of the water and went to hospital.

A 13-year-old boy drowned in the River Calder at Brighouse, West Yorkshire yesterday.

Yorkshire Water released raw and untreated sewage into Harrogate district rivers and becks on 3,800 different occasions last year for a total of 36,000 hours.

The figures, which were shared with the Stray Ferret by Yorkshire Water, show the scale of river pollution that the Environment Agency said is causing harm to the environment.

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

Some of the data is below:

‘Wouldn’t even let dogs in’

Yorkshire Water said the sewage has been diluted by rainwater and it is investigating the environmental impact of the storm overflows. But people who use and enjoy the rivers said they were concerned about the pollution.  Harrogate district rivers such as the Nidd, which runs through Pateley Bridge and Knaresborough, offer some of our most scenic places to visit.

Kath Martin, who runs the Facebook page Keep Nidd Gorge Gorgeous, said the Nidd “can get very nasty” due to the pollution.

She said:

“I wouldn’t let children or even dogs in the water”.

Kath was part of the campaign that fought to protect Nidd Gorge from a major new road and said “it’s an area we have to protect.”

She added:

“It needs someone at the top to do something about the pollution. We have to address it.”

Concern

Whilst the raw sewage that lurks in Nidd or the Ure makes it unappealing for anyone wanting to wild swim, its impact on local wildlife could also be severe.

Environment Agency data from last year revealed that every section of the River Nidd that runs through the Harrogate district failed annual water pollution tests due to the river being contaminated.

David Clayden is secretary of the Harrogate Flyfishers’ Club. Members fish on the section of the Nidd that runs through Darley, close to where Yorkshire Water released sewage over 2,800 hours last year.

He said he was concerned about the figures and added the club will soon testing the water to try and gauge its impact on the fish.

He said:

“Sewage takes oxygen out of the water so fish can’t breathe. This is particularly important for trout which we fish. They need clear water.”

“The club would want to know that every effort is being taken to maintain the river in a lovely, as well as fishable, state.”

Harm to the environment

The Environment Agency told the Stray Ferret that nationally, the number of sewage spills has increased by 27% since 2019.

It said this was, in part, due to increased monitoring of water companies.

Sir James Bevan, chief executive of the Environment Agency, said:

“The Environment Agency is working actively with the water companies to ensure overflows are properly controlled and the harm they do to the environment stopped.”

A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said:

“Combined sewers carry both foul water from homes and businesses as well as rainwater which falls onto impermeable areas such as paved areas, roofs and highways. As rainwater can be unpredictable, we have permitted storm overflows on our sewer network to act as a relief valve. They help to reduce the pressure on sewers during heavy rainfall events and stop the system from backing up and flooding homes and gardens by allowing heavily diluted wastewater to be discharged into watercourses. This is permitted by the Environment Agency and closely monitored by them and us. Many storm overflows have preliminary treatment such as screens or storm settlement before any discharge is made.

“We are seeing a combination of factors, from urbanisation to climate change, frequently testing the design and capacity of our network. At the same time, increased awareness of the operation of storm overflows is driving an important debate on what society sees as acceptable. We’re committed to supporting the Defra Storm Overflow Taskforce activity in ending pollution from storm overflows.

“We will be investing £137 million by 2025 in storm overflow improvements, investigation and increased monitoring. We are also investigating the environmental impact of 158 frequent spilling overflows as part of the Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP). As frequency of spill does not necessarily equate to environmental harm and environmental permits do not set spill threshold limits, these investigations will be key to understanding environmental impact, and what action needs to be taken to resolve any impacts.”

North Yorkshire County Council has performed another u-turn to avoid travel problems for people going for vaccinations in Ripon.

For the second time in seven weeks, the council’s highways department has had to hit the brakes on plans to close a bridge on a key diversion route.

The bridge over the River Ure on Boroughbridge Road was due to close for inspection all day tomorrow.

But alert resident Paul Stockburn pointed out that such a move would have caused problems because Boroughbridge Road is already serving as a diversion for a section of the nearby Dishforth Road that is closed for road works.

Had the closure gone ahead, it would have created difficulties for people driving along Boroughbridge Road in and out of Ripon.

The bridge, which is half a mile from Ripon racecourse vaccination centre, was first due to close for inspection on 19 January.

But six days earlier part of Dishforth Road closed for eight weeks for work by Yorkshire Water. It remains closed.

Conflicting closure signs on the Dishforth and Boroughbridge roads. But the bridge over the River Ure will be open tomorrow

When Mr Stockburn pointed this out, the highways department said it would re-schedule the bridge closure when Yorkshire Water’s pipe renewal work was complete.

So Mr Stockburn, who lives in Copt Hewick, was surprised to see road closure signs appear again this week. He told the Stray Ferret:

“I couldn’t believe my eyes because I know that the Dishforth Road is still going to be closed tomorrow.

“The county council appear incapable of working out that eight weeks from 13 January gives a finish date of 10 March.

“Unbelievably, they were about to make exactly the same mistake.

“You wonder, did they ask Yorkshire Water first, before deciding they were going to close the bridge on 5 March?”

After receiving a call from Mr Stockburn, the Stray Ferret contacted NYCC to let it know the Dishforth Road closure was ongoing.

Melisa Burnham, highways area manager at the council, apologised and said:

“Yorkshire Water has been undertaking an eight-week programme of works on Dishforth Road therefore our contractors scheduled the one-day bridge inspection for this Friday when the work was due to be complete.

“Unfortunately Yorkshire Water need to extend their works until March 14 so we are in the process of rearranging the bridge inspection and have removed the advance notice signs.”

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Prior to the start of its work, Yorkshire Water sent a letter to all households in Copt Hewick. It said:

“We understand that these works will be inconvenient, which is why we’ve liaised closely with North Yorkshire County Council highways department regarding every aspect of this essential scheme.’”

The importance of the Boroughbridge Road diversion route, increased on February 2 when the covid vaccination centre opened at Ripon racecourse.