Fight pollution hot spots

Potential pollution ‘hotspots’ within Halifax have been targeted as part of Yorkshire Water’s £300m war on sewage and the company now aims to reduce pollution in these areas using a system that monitors weather and sewage conditions.

Analysts at the company have collected pollution data from previous years and will continue to monitor the hotspots and jet pipes will be triggered during ‘perfect storm’ conditions, preventing pollution incdients and savings scores of outbreaks each year.

James Harrison, Technical Sewerage Manager for Yorkshire Water, said: “Taking care of the environment is absolutely crucial to our business and that’s why we wanted to try and develop a new approach to minimising sewage pollution.

“Rather than being on the back foot, preventing the problem from occurring in the first place is a far more efficient way of working and we’re already starting to see the results with numerous potential incidents being prevented.”

Luddenden, Wainstalls, Mytholmroyd, Elland and Sowerby Bridge roads are potential hotspots and are already being monitored as part of the scheme.

Sewage pollution is a problem for water companies across the UK, with rivers, seawater and becks having an effect on the water quality and wildlife in the area.

Yorkshire Water’s new approach aims to tackle the sewage problem before it happens by identifying common periods when pollution is likely and acting straight away to stop it from happening.

It has been revealed through analysis that dry weather is one of the main causes for blockage and subsequent pollution in sewers because of the reduce of water flow.

The model is just one aspect of a £300m war on sewage over the next five years, and if the approach is deemed successful, a similar approach may be applied to areas around Calderdale that are prone to incidents such as flooding and odours.