Yorkshire Water investing £1m in Airmyn to reduce discharges to river Aire

Yorkshire Water is investing £1m in a storm overflow in Airmyn, near Goole to reduce discharges into the river Aire during periods of heavy or prolonged rainfall, as it continues efforts to improve water quality.  

The project is part of a £180m investment by Yorkshire Water across the region to reduce discharges into watercourses from storm overflows.  

A new 45m3 underground storage tank will be constructed on land behind the Percy Arms to hold excess wastewater flows during periods of heavy and prolonged rainfall. The stored wastewater will then be returned to the network for full treatment once the rainfall event has passed, reducing the frequency of discharges from the Airmyn Crossing storm overflow.  

Upgrades to the storm overflow will also be carried out as part of the project to improve its performance and reduce the frequency and duration of discharges. Once completed, discharges from Airmyn Crossing overflow will be reduced by 67%.  

Martin Ineson, project manager at Yorkshire Water, said: “We are investing £180m across the region by April 2025 to reduce discharges into watercourses from more than 100 storm overflows. This project will reduce the discharges entering the Aire from our Airmyn Crossing overflow, helping to improve water quality.  

“This project and the £180m investment are just the start of our efforts to reduce storm overflow operations throughout Yorkshire. We’ve submitted plans to Ofwat that would see more than £1bn outlined for investment in overflows across the region between 2025 and 2030.”  

The project, which is already underway, is being delivered by Peter Duffy Limited, and is expected to be completed in September. 

Yorkshire Water is also investing £6m in Howden and Howdendyke to enhance the capacity of a nearby wastewater treatment works ahead of a planned expansion of residential properties in the area.