Yorkshire Water begins £2.5m project to reduce discharges to river Calder in Brighouse

Yorkshire Water is investing £2.5m project to reduce discharges into the river Calder from a storm overflow in Brighouse. 

The project, which is being delivered by Morrison Water Services, CR Civils and Active Tunnelling, will reduce the frequency and duration of discharges from the River Street storm overflow by more than 70%. 

The £2.5m investment will include the construction of a storage tank in land off River Street and a new sewer on Sunnyside. Preparation work is underway, with construction due to begin in early December. The project is expected to complete in March 2025. 

Omair Khan, project manager at Yorkshire Water, said: “The work to increase storage off River Street will help to reduce discharges into the Calder.  This project is just one small part of a £180m initiative we have been carrying out across Yorkshire in the last two years as we begin to make reductions in storm overflow discharges. In the longer-term we are already planning to invest a further £1bn in the next five years to continue reducing overflows as part of our commitment to improving river health and the water environment. 

“We have worked closely with the Environment Agency and the local planning authority to try to minimise disruption as much as possible during our work and the work the Environment Agency will be doing in 2025 to reduce flood risk.” 

Following the completion of Yorkshire Water’s project in March 2025, the Environment Agency will be working in the area to implement a surface water drainage solution and install a pumping station as part of the Brighouse Flood Alleviation Scheme (FAS).