River Swale to benefit from £4.8m investment

Yorkshire Water is investing £4.8m in its Dishforth wastewater treatment work to improve water quality in the River Swale and to expand the capacity of the site.

The project, which is being delivered by Mott MacDonald Bentley, will increase the capacity of the treatment works to ensure if can cope with increased flows of wastewater from new housing developments nearby.

Yorkshire Water’s investment will also focus on removing the amount of phosphorus present in the treated wastewater that is returned to the river environment following the treatment process.

Experts say this will positively impact water quality in the Soppa Gutter, a tributary of the river Swale, improving approximately 7km of the watercourses.

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 an electrocoagulation unit to remove pollutants from wastewater, an odour control unit, a new sludge storage tank and the replacement of a balance tank on site, will be completed by the end of 2024.

Lucie Arger, project manager at Yorkshire Water, said: “We are committed to improving water quality in the rivers across our region. One of the key focuses is the reduction of Phosphorus entering rivers in the treated wastewater we safely return to the environment.

“Reducing Phosphorus levels can make a real difference to water quality in our rivers. This project is a significant part of a £500m investment by 2025 in Phosphorus removal throughout Yorkshire.

“As well as improving the quality of the local watercourse, our work at Dishforth will ensure the treatment works can cope with increased flows coming from new developments in the local area, future-proofing the site and by carrying out the work at the same time, delivering value for money for our customers and reducing disruption in the longer term.”