£13.5m project to improve taste of Halifax tap water

The work in Halifax is part of a projected £13.5m programme that will involve the cleaning of large swathes of the company’s 31,000 kilometre pipe network that stretches across Yorkshire.

Water quality will be improved by reducing mineral deposits in water pipes, such as iron and manganese, that on occasion can cause discoloured water to comes out of taps.

Although this is unlikely to be harmful to health in such small traces, it can affect taste and make water appear slightly cloudy.

To help prevent this, specialist Yorkshire Water technicians will systematically operate valves on water mains in thousands of streets across the region.

David Stevenson, Head of Water Distribution at Yorkshire Water, said: “Our mission is to provide water to people that is clean and safe to drink.

“Drinking water quality within Yorkshire is already excellent with 99.95% of around 500,000 water tests we carried out in the last year meeting the stringent standards set by the Drinking Water Inspectorate. 
“However, this project will improve water quality even further.”

In order to deliver the scheme, Yorkshire Water says no road closures will be required and only a few days will be spent in each area, causing little disruption.

Letters will also be sent to all residents in advance of flushing works being carried out on their street to provide further advice and information.

Robert Light, Northern Chair for the Consumer Council for Water, said: “Customer satisfaction with tap water is already very high, but this investment shows Yorkshire Water is committed to keeping it that way.

“While the number of customers receiving discoloured water is low, it can affect their quality of life. That’s why we welcome this investment.”