Yorkshire Water investing £3.3m in Stockley wastewater treatment works

Yorkshire Water is investing £3.3m in its Stockley wastewater treatment works in Chesterfield to improve water quality in the river Doe Lea. 

The project will improve the water quality of over 2.4km of the river downstream of the works by reducing the Phosphorus present in the treated wastewater returned to the environment. 

Starting in the summer, the project, which is being delivered by Tilbury Douglas, is expected to be completed in October 2024. It will reduce the amount of Phosphorus in the wastewater returned to the river Doe Lea. 

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. 

The work will include the installation of new chemical dosing equipment and improvements to existing equipment.  

Rich Tomlinson, project manager at Yorkshire Water, said: “We know how important it is to our customers that we look after the environment, and it’s important to us too. We have several Phosphorus reduction schemes planned across Yorkshire as part of our ongoing commitment to improving water quality in our rivers.” 

This project is a significant part of a £500m investment by 2025 in Phosphorus removal throughout Yorkshire.