Yorkshire Water says it is investing £3m in its Rainton wastewater treatment works near Thirsk to improve water quality in the River Swale and its tributaries.
The project, delivered by BarhaleEnpure, aims to reduce the amount of phosphorus in the wastewater returned to the river system post-treatment.
The company hopes around 1.46km of the watercourse will see its water quality improve.
Phosphorus is a normal part of domestic sewage, entering the sewer system via domestic showers and washing machines due to products such as shampoo and liquid detergent containing phosphorus.
It can also wash off from agricultural fields after the use of fertilisers and be dissolved from soil which can be difficult to control.
While a small amount of phosphorus is harmless and is an essential part of many ecosystems, it can become damaging to human and animal life when unmanaged.
The work, which includes the installation of a chemical dosing unit to reduce phosphorus, is underway and will be completed in the summer.
Lizzie Robinson, project manager at Yorkshire Water, said: “We know how important it is to our customers that we continually seek to improve the quality of the water in our rivers and to ensure that we’re looking after the environment.
“Reducing the amount of Phosphorus entering the watercourse via treated wastewater is a project that will help us to do so.”
This project is a significant part of a £500m investment by 2025 in phosphorus removal throughout Yorkshire.
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