Ofwat announced today, March 20, that it has completed its investigation into Yorkshire Water’s wastewater treatment facilities and networks, revealing a £40 million redress package to be invested in the region.
This package, reduced from the previously proposed £47 million penalty in August 2024, will be funded by Yorkshire Water and its shareholders, not customers.
The comprehensive package includes:
- £36.6 million allocated for investment from 2025 to 2030 aimed at decreasing discharges from storm overflows throughout Yorkshire. This is in addition to Yorkshire Water’s planned £1.5 billion investment in storm overflow improvements over the next five years.
- £3.4 million dedicated to the Great Yorkshire Rivers Partnership, allowing it to exceed its five-year goal of removing artificial barriers in Yorkshire’s rivers, which will enhance water quality and biodiversity, reconnecting up to 500 km of rivers.
- A commitment to an action plan ensuring all storm overflows operated by Yorkshire Water comply with legal standards.
Nicola Shaw, Chief Executive of Yorkshire Water, stated: “We recognize that our storm overflows are utilized more often than we or our customers would prefer. Since 2021, we have been actively working to enhance our performance. We have addressed all issues identified during Ofwat’s investigation at our wastewater treatment facilities and initiated a £180 million investment program to further reduce discharges. We have completed improvements at 70 storm overflows and are about to launch our £1.5 billion initiative to further decrease discharges over the next five years.”
“We acknowledge there is still more work to be done. We are leading the industry in resolving these issues and are eager to implement our ambitious plans to enhance river health in Yorkshire. We apologize for our previous errors and hope this redress package demonstrates our commitment to environmental improvement. The storm overflows we will be investing in were originally scheduled for upgrades in the 2030-35 timeframe, and we will expedite enhancements to them. We appreciate Ofwat’s recognition of the importance of keeping this funding within our region to support essential environmental upgrades that will benefit Yorkshire customers.”
A representative for The Great Yorkshire Rivers Partnership remarked: “We are grateful for the additional funding that aligns with our Partnership’s vision to create meaningful change in the Yorkshire landscape. Our goal is to eliminate significant barriers to fish migration in the region’s rivers. This initiative aids in restoring natural river processes, enhancing water quality, and fostering biodiversity, resulting in improved blue spaces for both nature and people. By reinvesting this funding in Yorkshire, we will enable even more projects by Great Yorkshire Rivers partners throughout the county to support the recovery of our native fish species.”
Source: Yorkshire Water
