£1-5m investment to reduce storm overflows into river Ure in Ripon

Yorkshire Water is investing £1.5m in a storm overflow in Ripon to reduce the frequency and duration of discharges into the river Ure. 

The project, which is being carried out by Sapphire Utilities Solutions, is underway in the outskirts of the city. 

Over the next eight months, work will take place on Red Hills Road, Springfield Close, Kings Mead and Palace Road, to construct 955 metres of new surface water sewer. The new sewer will take rainfall flows from nearby properties, preventing them from entering the combined sewer during periods of heavy or prolonged rainfall. 

By reducing the amount of rainfall entering the combined sewer and mixing with wastewater, the number of discharges from the nearby storm overflow is expected to reduce by 75%.  

Lumi Ajayi, project manager at Yorkshire Water, said: “This work in Ripon will cut discharges into the Ure by limiting the amount of surface water entering the combined sewer network. By reducing the flows in our network, the frequency and duration of discharges from the Clock Tower overflow will in turn be reduced. 

“This project is just one small part of a £180m investment across Yorkshire by the end of March 2025 to reduce discharges from our most frequently operating storm overflows.” 

The project follows a £230,000 investment at Boroughbridge, £140,000 at South Stainley and £500,000 at Bainbridge to reduce discharges to the Ure and its tributaries.  

Due to the location of the work, temporary traffic management will be in place. This will be two-way lights on Palace Road and three-way lights as the project moves past junctions.