Responding to current issues with odour in Hull and the surrounding areas, Yorkshire Water has announced plans for a multi-million pound investment programme in Hull Waste Water Treatment Works.

The company has been receiving calls from concerned customers regarding odour levels in the surrounding area of the works.

Charlie Haysom, Yorkshire Water Director of Service Delivery said:

"First and foremost we would like to apologise for the very real inconvenience our waste water treatment works at Saltend has caused people in the surrounding areas. Today we are announcing a root and branch review of every aspect of the works. This will likely lead to a major investment to transform the way that site operates and the capacity of volumes it can cope with. “

Yorkshire Water has previously said it would invest in improving performance at the site -in the last five years the firm has invested £10.5 million in Hull Waste Water Treatment Works including £3.5 million on a new odour control unit.

The plant is now working at optimum capacity and there have been significant improvements. Where previously the water company used to receive complaints about odours all year round, now they are limited largely to six to eight weeks a year. The water company said that this is still unacceptable and it is clear that the works cannot cope with the volumes it receives during the peak load period. In the last two weeks Yorkshire Water has received up to 125% of the design capacity, more than it has ever received at one time before, which has had a dramatic effect on odours.

Yorkshire Water is meeting with key local stakeholders to talk them through the investment .

As a matter of practice, it consistently monitors odour and gas levels on all of its sites. The highest gas/odour detection levels recorded at Hull Waste Water Treatment Works were substantially below the threshold for potential human health effects as advised by Public Health England from whom the company has previously taken advice.