Yorkshire Water hunting cause of River Don pollution

Yorkshire Water is appealing for information to track down the source of a detergent-based substance that causes the treated effluent to get foamy when it enters the river Don. This seems to happen every year at the end of May and beginning of June.

For several years, a detergent has entered Yorkshire Water’s Blackburn Meadows wastewater treatment works via the sewer network. The nature of this specific detergent coupled with the significant quantity means that it is not removed through the usual treatment process and leaves the treatment works at the end of the process, causing foam to enter the watercourse.

Ben Roche, director of wastewater at Yorkshire Water, said: “The detergent coming through the treatment works at this time of year causes a visible impact to the watercourse. Currently, our working theory is a business in the city conducts a regular cleaning programme at this time of year and the wastewater is discharged into the sewer.

“Our trade investigation team, who manage business discharges of substances into the sewer, have been unable to locate where the detergent is coming from. We work closely with businesses discharging wastewater into the sewer network to ensure the treatment processes of the site can handle the concentration and being discharged into the network.

“Sadly, this unknown substance is not removed as part of our usual processes and ultimately ends up in the river Don along with the treated wastewater we safely return to the environment. We’re hoping by appealing for help we’ll be able to track down the source and work with the organisation to outline correct disposal of the substance.”

Anyone with information on the possible source of the detergent-based substance should contact Yorkshire Water.