Yorkshire Water has completed an £8.9 million investment to upgrade 2  wastewater treatment works in South Yorkshire, delivering new phosphorus removal infrastructure that is already improving the quality of water returning to the River Don and Banks Bottom Dike. 

Delivered in partnership with BarhaleEnpure, the upgrades at Ingbirchworth and Hoylandswaine Wastewater Treatment Works form part of Yorkshire Water's wider environmental improvement programme under the Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP), which is driving investment in wastewater treatment assets across England to help protect rivers and meet increasingly demanding environmental standards.  

The completed schemes represent a combined investment of £8.9 million, with £2.4 million allocated to Ingbirchworth and £6.5 million invested at Hoylandswaine. Together, the projects have introduced new treatment processes specifically designed to remove significantly more phosphorus from final effluent before it is discharged back into local watercourses. Early monitoring confirms that phosphorus concentrations from both sites are now well below the limits required by the Environment Agency.  

The improvements will enhance water quality along approximately 6km of the River Don and 3.7km of Banks Bottom Dike, supporting healthier aquatic habitats and helping to reduce one of the principal causes of nutrient pollution affecting rivers throughout the UK.  

Although phosphorus occurs naturally and is essential to healthy ecosystems, excessive concentrations can have significant environmental consequences. Nutrient enrichment encourages excessive algal growth, reducing oxygen levels within rivers and placing pressure on fish populations, aquatic plants and invertebrates. Domestic wastewater remains one of the primary sources of phosphorus entering treatment works, with detergents, shampoos and household cleaning products contributing to sewer networks every day. Agricultural runoff can also introduce additional phosphorus into surrounding catchments following rainfall.  

Rather than relying on traditional treatment alone, the South Yorkshire upgrades introduce advanced chemical dosing systems that enable wastewater operators to remove far greater quantities of phosphorus before treated water is returned to the environment. 

At Ingbirchworth, BarhaleEnpure installed a new single-point ferric dosing system, providing controlled chemical treatment to bind dissolved phosphorus so it can be removed during the wastewater treatment process. Hoylandswaine received a more extensive upgrade incorporating dual-point ferric dosing, a new solids removal process following clarification and a dedicated electrical substation to support the enhanced treatment infrastructure. Together, these improvements provide significantly greater phosphorus removal efficiency while ensuring long-term operational resilience at the site.  

The projects demonstrate the increasingly important role that process engineering is playing within the UK's water sector. As environmental regulation continues to tighten, water companies are investing heavily in modern treatment technologies capable of improving river health whilst supporting population growth and future resilience. 

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."  

For BarhaleEnpure, the project adds to a growing portfolio of specialist wastewater treatment schemes being delivered across Yorkshire. The joint venture combines Barhale's civil engineering expertise with Enpure's process engineering capabilities, enabling complex treatment technologies to be integrated into live operational sites whilestmaintaining continuity of service. Yorkshire Water appointed the partnership to deliver both South Yorkshire schemes as part of its wider phosphorus removal programme, recognising the increasing importance of specialist process engineering in meeting future environmental obligations.  

The completed works also represent a small but significant part of Yorkshire Water's wider environmental investment strategy. Under the current WINEP programme, the company has already invested around £500 million in phosphorus removal projects across the region. Looking ahead, Yorkshire Water plans to invest a further £2 billion in environmental improvements focused on wastewater treatment performance and reducing storm overflow impacts, forming part of its record £8.3 billion investment programme over the next 5 years.  

As AMP8 investment accelerates across the UK water industry, schemes such as Ingbirchworth and Hoylandswaine illustrate how targeted infrastructure improvements can deliver measurable environmental benefits. By combining modern treatment technology with long-term capital investment, Yorkshire Water is helping improve river health today whilst creating wastewater treatment assets capable of meeting the environmental expectations of the future.