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    13

    Jul 2023

    Last Updated: 12/07/2023
    Environment
    Environment

    Yorkshire Water improves environmental performance, says report

    by Calvin Robinson Chief Reporter

    | 13 Jul, 2023
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    yorkshirewater
    Yorkshire Water

    Yorkshire Water has improved its environmental performance, according to a latest government report.

    The water company, which supplies drinking water and deals with waste water, was rated three-star in an assessment carried out by the Environment Agency.

    The performance, which covers 2022, is an improvement on the previous year when the company was rated as two-star.

    Severn Trent Water was the highest rated at four stars, while Anglian Water, Thames Water, Wessex Water, Southern Water and South West Water were all given two stars.

    Despite the rating, Yorkshire Water was still below target in areas such as self-reporting incidents and serious pollution incidents.

    During the year, Yorkshire Water had three serious pollution incidents compared with five the previous year. 



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    The company self-reported 77% of incidents in 2021 - below the industry target of 82%.

    Claire Barrow, area environment manager for the Environment Agency in Yorkshire, said:

    “While it’s encouraging that Yorkshire Water has seen some progress, there is still significant work to be done to improve standards.
    “We want to see a consistent reduction in the number of pollution incidents and a sustained improvement in the timeliness and quality of self-reporting.”


    Fewston Reservoir is managed by Yorkshire Water



    Alan Lovell, chair of the Environment Agency, said despite some improvement, the level of pollution caused by water companies remained "unacceptable".

    He said:

    “While there have been some modest improvements, it is unacceptable to still be seeing this level of pollution.
    "We have seen a distinct culture shift from the water industry in recent months and that is welcome – but that must translate to profound, long-term change.”


    A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said: 

    “Our improvement to a three-star rating in the latest EPA report from the Environment Agency is testament to the work of our colleagues in the last 12 months.
    “We care passionately about the environment and work hard every day to tackle pollution and the causes of it. However, we are not complacent and know there is much more we need to do. Our focus is on continuous improvement in the way we use technology and data to further improve the areas preventing us from reaching a four-star rating."