Yorkshire Water is today announcing a comprehensive action plan to tackle odours from its Saltend waste water treatment works.
In July the company announced a full review of the site aimed at identifying what was needed to prevent a reoccurrence of the odour problems that affected residents in Hedon, Preston and surrounding areas earlier this year.
Following detailed investigations carried out with the help of independent international experts, the company has developed a £30 million action plan consisting of around 50 different improvements which will improve how the waste water that comes into the site is treated. The company has committed to delivering a significant amount of the improvements by summer 2016.
Yorkshire Water is also looking to work with its industrial customers in the area to trial new measures to help control the quality and quantity of waste water that arrives at the Saltend site.
In order to provide added assurance that the odour problems of this summer will not be repeated, the company is also looking at options to put lids on the tanks to the rear of the site where the biological treatment process takes place.
Yorkshire Water said that while there are still technical challenges to overcome, putting lids on the tanks would mean that the air released by the treatment process would be captured and treated by new odour control units to remove any odours before it is released to the atmosphere.
Nick Topham, Yorkshire Water’s Programme Director for East Riding and Hull said:
“We understand that the odours from our treatment works last summer were unacceptable. In July we committed to investing in the site to prevent it happening again. Today we are announcing a comprehensive investment plan that will deliver on that commitment.”
“The improvements to the way we treat waste water on the site would be sufficient to ensure we can treat the loads coming into site without a repeat of the odour issues, but we want to go further to ensure we have additional protection for the local community. Putting lids on the tanks is technically challenging but we are committed to doing everything we can to provide reassurance to local people that the odour problems will not be repeated.”
In order to thank local residents for their patience whilst the investment is carried out the company is also setting up a £75,000 community fund to provide grants to local organisations for projects in a range of areas including environmental improvements, education and work with vulnerable people.
The fund will be administered by a committee made up of local community representatives who will decide how money is allocated.
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