The Environment Agency has secured £2.35m for environmental improvements from Yorkshire Water following a series of pollution incidents.
The Agency accepted seven enforcement undertakings after separate pollution incidents at wastewater treatment works and sewer infrastructure across the region.
The Yorkshire Water incidents took place between 2019 and 2023, and involved unauthorised sewage discharges into rivers and watercourses including the Rivers Ure, Dearne, Aire and Calder.
The money will go to environmental charities to bolster improvements, including improvements to nature reserves, wetland habitat creation and restoring flood plains.
Yorkshire Water made the enforcement undertaking offers after Environment Agency investigations into the incidents.
The company has also carried out a range of remedial actions at each site. This includes repairing and upgrading infrastructure, installing new alarm and telemetry systems, commissioning ecological surveys and updating operational procedures.
It will also pay all of the Environment Agency’s investigation costs.
Jacqui Tootill, water industry regulation manager in Yorkshire, said: “While we continue to prosecute and sanction the most serious offences, Enforcement Undertakings allow companies to put right what went wrong and channel money directly into the environment.
“This £2.35m will be invested back into the local area to enhance the environment, delivering real benefits for people and wildlife.
“We are continuing to drive meaningful improvements in water company performance, hold persistent offenders to account and ultimately create a cleaner water environment.”
Yorkshire Water’s financial contributions are:
- £500,000 to Don Catchment Rivers Trust for the failure of a storm tank at Lundwood Wastewater Treatment Works, Barnsley, and unauthorised sewage discharges into the River Dearne.
- £500,000 to Don Catchment Rivers Trust for an unauthorised sewage discharge from a burst rising main at Stainforth Huddle Grounds, Doncaster.
- £350,000 to Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust for an unauthorised sewage discharge from Leyburn Sewage Treatment Works into the River Ure.
- £300,000 to Aire Rivers Trust for three unauthorised sewage discharges into the River Aire from Knostrop Wastewater Treatment Works in Leeds.
- £300,000 split between Yorkshire Wildlife Trust (£150,000) and Calder and Colne Rivers Trust (£150,000) for an unauthorised sewage discharge at High Royd Towpath Combined Sewer Overflow, Sowerby Bridge, into the River Calder.
- £250,000 to Calder and Colne Rivers Trust for an unauthorised sewage discharge from a collapsed combined sewer into Cockleshaw Beck, East Bierley, Kirklees.
- £150,000 to Yorkshire Wildlife Trust for an unauthorised sewage discharge at Laithes Lane in Athersley South in Barnsley.
The agreement is part of a record £8.5m paid by water companies into environmental restoration projects across the country as part of a strengthened crackdown on pollution and poor performance across the sector.
This compares to £5.8m the year before, a 47 per cent increase, and just under £2m in the 2023/24 financial year.
