£1m investment to reduce storm overflows at New Ellerby

Yorkshire Water is investing £1m at New Ellerby, in the east Riding, to reduce storm discharges flowing into Kelwell drain during heavy or prolonged rainfall.

Contract partners, Peter Duffy Ltd (PDL) will construct 115m of new surface water sewer to stop rainfall from nearby properties and highways entering the combined sewer network, alongside four new manhole chambers.  The project also includes relining 126m of sewer to reduce the level of groundwater infiltration into the combined sewer. 

Lumi Ajayi, project manager at Yorkshire Water, said: “This project is part of a wider £180m investment programme to reduce storm overflows across the Yorkshire region before April 2025. On completion, it will result in a 45% reduction of discharges from the New Ellerby storm overflow discharging into the nearby Kelwell drain and help improve water quality. 

“This project follows hot on the heels of a recently completed £380k investment to increase storage capacity at the wastewater treatment works in neighbouring Old Ellerby village. This extra storage capacity is projected to result in a 70% in storm overflows going into a tributary of Kelwell Drain. These schemes contribute towards improving water quality in the area by reducing the frequency and intensity of storm overflows going into local watercourses.”

In the longer term, Yorkshire Water is planning its largest ever environmental investment between 2025 and 2030, which includes more than £1bn earmarked to reduce storm overflows across Yorkshire, subject to Ofwat approval.