£5.8m investment boost aimed at reducing storm overflow in Rotherham
Yorkshire Water is starting a £5.8m project to protect the River Don in Rotherham from storm overflow discharges.
Storm overflows have been affecting Thorpe Hesley for six years, with the number of spills at Eldertree Road rising from 22 to 38.
It is hoped Yorkshire Water's planned project reduce storm discharges into local watercourses and improve water quality.
The utlities firm said it hopes a combined 638 litres of extra storage capacity will be created to hold the water during periods of heavy rainfall.
Work is set to begin this week to create additional storm water storage capacity at Eldertree Road, with Ward & Burke commissioned to carry out the scheme.
A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said on completion, the scheme, with an estimated cost of £1.8million, should reduce discharges into Blackburn Brook, which flows towards the River Don, from an average of 32 a year to fewer than 10.
A further £4m is to be spent on installing 456m³ underground pipe storage system at Wentworth Road CSO
M Group will deliver the pipe storage scheme at Wentworth Road, which is designed to reduce discharges into Greasbrough Dike by around 60 per cent , taking them from an annual average of 26 to fewer than 10.
A total of £1.8m will be invested into Eldertree Road, and £4m will be used to install an underground pipe storage system at Wentworth Road.
Vikki Overend, project manager at Yorkshire Water, said: “We’re investing £5.8m in these two projects to significantly reduce storm overflow discharges in Thorpe Hesley.
“Reducing storm discharges is an important part of improving our environmental performance and protecting local watercourses. Work at Eldertree Road is expected to take around 12 months, with the Wentworth Road scheme expected to take around 10 months.”
M Group will create the pipe storage at Wentworth Road, which the aim that this will reduce discharge into Greasbrough Dike by around 60 per cent.
There is no information yet about what residents should expect from disruption levels as the work to create the storage systems takes place.
The two schemes are part of a £73.5m investment into 27 storm overflow projects across the Rotherham area.
Yorkshire Water says help for the overflow situation in Rotherham has been ongoing.
It estimates that in 2024, it put £2m into improving the stability of the sewage network in the Wentworth area.
Yorkshire Water says it forms part of their wider plans to invest £8.3bn between 2025 and 2030, in what it claims will be its largest ever environmental project to improve performance.
At the end of last month, Yorkshire Water's CEO Nicola Shaw stepped down just one day after the utilities firm was given the lowest possible rating by environmental regulators.
Following the rating Ms Shaw, who held her position for four and a half years, announced that she will be stepping down from January 1.
She will be replaced by Nicola Medalova, who has been appointed as CEO designate and will join the company on November 2 before fully taking over in the new year.
“It has been a privilege to lead Yorkshire Water and serve the people of Yorkshire,” Ms Shaw said.