Yorkshire Water is progressing work on its £180 million storm overflow investment programmes – three more projects are getting underway.

The water company is investing £835.000 at a storm overflow in Marton, near Pickering, to reduce the number of discharges into the river Seven, improving the health of the watercourse.

The utility will be separating and diverting surface water from residential properties away from the combined network by installing approximately 200 metres of new surface water pipework.

By reducing the volume of surface water in the wastewater network, flows will be reduced – particularly during periods of heavy or prolonged rainfall. The likelihood of the storm overflow operating as a result is expected to decrease by 10 – 15%.

Parts of the wastewater sewer will also be lined, to reduce the impact of surface water infiltration into the network.

Contract partners Peter Duffy Ltd began the project earlier this month and are expected to complete the work in March.

In addition to the work on the sewer network, Yorkshire Water is planning to install a number of water butts at nearby residential properties where separating surface water isn’t possible. Water butts hold rainfall, preventing it from entering the combined sewer system.

Lumi Ajayi, project manager at Yorkshire Water, said:

“We’re committed to reducing the impact of storm overflow discharges on the environment, and the project at Marton Bridge is part of a £180m investment project across Yorkshire by the end of April 2025 which aims to do so.”

Nearby, work is also is underway with a £500,000 project in Kirkbymoorside to lay a new surface water sewer, reducing the duration and frequency of storm overflow discharges into the river Ouse.

The utility is also investing £445.000 in a Northallerton storm overflow to reduce the number of discharges into Terry Gutter during periods of heavy or prolonged rainfall.

600m of the combined sewer network, which transports both wastewater and surface water, will be lined on Northallerton Road to reduce the impact of groundwater infiltration on the network. Two manhole chambers will also be lined.

Once completed, the project is expected to reduce discharges from Northallerton Road storm overflow by 63%, as flows within the sewer will be significantly reduced.

Contract partners Mott MacDonald Bentley will begin the first phase of the work later this month and expect to complete in the spring.

Yorkshire Water separately previously announced it was investing £480,000 to reduce discharges from a storm overflow on Springwell Lane in Northallerton, by disconnecting surface water from the combined sewer network.