Yorkshire Water has successfully completed an £8.9m investment to upgrade Ingbirchworth and Hoylandswaine wastewater treatment sites in South Yorkshire to improve water quality in both the river Don and Banks Bottom Dike.

These improvement works are successfully reducing Phosphorous levels in treated wastewater being discharged into Banks Bottom Dike, affecting 3.7km of the watercourse.

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.

Joe Summers, project manager at Yorkshire Water said:

“It’s important that we keep looking at ways in which we can better take care of our environment, and we know that it matters to our customers too. Reducing the Phosphorus levels in our treated wastewater is one way in which we can improve the health of our rivers.”

Both projects are seeing significant reductions in final effluent Phosphorus levels going into waterways following treatment and well below the levels set by the Environment Agency.

These projects are a significant part of a £500m investment by 2025 in Phosphorus removal throughout Yorkshire under the Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP).

Yorkshire Water will invest a further £2bn on its WINEP programme directed towards environmental improvements focussing on storm overflows and wastewater treatment. It is part of the utility’s largest ever £8.3bn investment to improve its services, infrastructure and the environment across the Yorkshire region over the next five years.