Yorkshire Water has broken ground on its £1.5 billion storm overflow investment project between 2025 and 2030, with the first scheme starting in Leeds this week.

The programme follows a £180 million investment over the previous two years, which helped reduce discharges to watercourses by 12% in 2024, compared to 2023.

Jon Stokes, head of Yorkshire Water’s storm overflow delivery programme, said:

“Our storm overflows are operating more often than we, and our customers, would like, and we’re going to be continuing our hard work into bringing the number of discharges down over the next five years. This will be our biggest ever environmental investment, and we’re really pleased to be getting started with the first project in Leeds.”

The first of the overflow projects is taking place at Millshaw combined storm overflow in Beeston, to reduce the frequency and volume of discharges into Farnley Wood Beck.

The £1.2 million investment will see the installation of a new storage tank capable of holding 260m3 of storm water to help reduce discharges into the Beck. Storage tanks build additional capacity into the network, holding excess wastewater during periods of bad weather to prevent it being discharged. Flows will be sent for treatment when capacity in the network has returned to normal levels.

Yorkshire Water’s contract partners are expected to take around nine months to complete the project. The tank will be built on private land.

Daniel Rhodes, project manager at Yorkshire Water, commented:

“In the first year of the five-year programme, we’re going to be investing over £76 million into storm overflows projects in Leeds. It’s a significant and challenging programme of works, but one that’s incredibly important for the health of the city’s watercourse and we’re keen to get started. Our investment will bring the number of discharges from these overflows in Leeds down by 72%.”

The upgrade at Millshaw CSO is the first of 25 planned storm overflow schemes in Leeds set to get underway before April 2026 – and the first of nearly five hundred schemes across Yorkshire over the next five years.

Across Yorkshire, the need for storm overflows to operate will be reduced by building new:

Surface water sewers, to separate surface water and wastewater so that wastewater networks aren’t impacted by bad weather

Underground storage tanks, to build additional capacity into the network

Nature-based solutions, to build additional capacity into the network

Sustainable drainage systems, to slow the flow of surface water into the combined network

The storm overflow project is part of Yorkshire Water’s £8.3bn investment into its services and the environment over the next five years

Yorkshire Water has broken ground on its £1.5 billion storm overflow investment project between 2025 and 2030, with the first scheme starting in Leeds this week.

Yorkshire Water has broken ground on its £1.5 billion storm overflow investment project between 2025 and 2030, with the first scheme starting in Leeds this week.

The programme follows a £180 million investment over the previous two years, which helped reduce discharges to watercourses by 12% in 2024, compared to 2023.

Jon Stokes, head of Yorkshire Water’s storm overflow delivery programme, said:

“Our storm overflows are operating more often than we, and our customers, would like, and we’re going to be continuing our hard work into bringing the number of discharges down over the next five years. This will be our biggest ever environmental investment, and we’re really pleased to be getting started with the first project in Leeds.”

The first of the overflow projects is taking place at Millshaw combined storm overflow in Beeston, to reduce the frequency and volume of discharges into Farnley Wood Beck.

The £1.2 million investment will see the installation of a new storage tank capable of holding 260m3 of storm water to help reduce discharges into the Beck. Storage tanks build additional capacity into the network, holding excess wastewater during periods of bad weather to prevent it being discharged. Flows will be sent for treatment when capacity in the network has returned to normal levels.

Yorkshire Water’s contract partners are expected to take around nine months to complete the project. The tank will be built on private land.

Daniel Rhodes, project manager at Yorkshire Water, commented:

“In the first year of the five-year programme, we’re going to be investing over £76 million into storm overflows projects in Leeds. It’s a significant and challenging programme of works, but one that’s incredibly important for the health of the city’s watercourse and we’re keen to get started. Our investment will bring the number of discharges from these overflows in Leeds down by 72%.”

The upgrade at Millshaw CSO is the first of 25 planned storm overflow schemes in Leeds set to get underway before April 2026 – and the first of nearly five hundred schemes across Yorkshire over the next five years.

Across Yorkshire, the need for storm overflows to operate will be reduced by building new:

Surface water sewers, to separate surface water and wastewater so that wastewater networks aren’t impacted by bad weather

Underground storage tanks, to build additional capacity into the network

Nature-based solutions, to build additional capacity into the network

Sustainable drainage systems, to slow the flow of surface water into the combined network

The storm overflow project is part of Yorkshire Water’s £8.3bn investment into its services and the environment over the next five years.