Yorkshire Water completes £1.6m nature-based wastewater treatment project

Yorkshire Water has completed a £1.6m nature-first project at Bishop Wilton wastewater treatment works in East Riding of Yorkshire, designed to improve water quality in Bishop Wilton Beck. 

The project was developed to reduce the amount of Phosphorous in the wastewater returned to the environment post treatment and is the first time that Yorkshire Water has implemented this type of technology.  

Contract partner Eric Wright Water Ltd replaced two existing reed beds at the Bishop Wilton site with reactive media beds, which provide enhanced treatment of wastewater. The media beds use natural materials such as sand, gravel and plants to filter and absorb pollutants and Phosphorous.  

Water quality in 15.4km of the Bishop Wilton Beck watercourse has been improved as a result of the project.  

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. 

Rizwan Khan, project manager at Yorkshire Water, said: “This kind of treatment process is innovative and kind to the environment, as well as being a reliable and robust system for wastewater treatment, and we’re delighted to have completed the project after plenty of collaboration and hard work with our partners, Eric Wright Water Ltd and ArmPhos Group Ltd.” 

Alongside the media beds, the Bishop Wilton site saw the installation of two new pumping stations and a new control centre, improving the overall efficiency and reliability of the site. 

Work on the project began in September 2023 and was completed in under a year. 

Rizwan added: “By embracing this kind of nature-based solution at Bishop Wilton, we’re paving the way for a more sustainable successes in the future.” 

Yorkshire Water is also underway with other nature-based solutions across the region, including a £4m wetland at Thornton-Le-Beans.