It's crucial that we operate around the clock to manage and mitigate issues with our assets, ensuring they remain fit for purpose and do not harm our people, customers, or the environment. We recognise that parts of our infrastructure need enhancement to continue improving the health of Yorkshire's rivers, and we are now delivering the largest environmental programme in our history for the 2025–2030 period.
We will be investing over £4.9 billion in managing our wastewater infrastructure, which will not only enhance the health of rivers and seas but also bring local economic and societal benefits. Our approach is to invest proactively, targeting the areas that need it most, including investing £1.45 billion to reduce storm overflow discharges by more than half.
Teaming up for river health
Collaboration is at the heart of our approach to creating healthy rivers and thriving, biodiverse environments. We actively work with a wide range of partners, including local authorities, farmers, landowners, and community and environmental groups such as rivers trusts, to drive meaningful change.
As an anchor organisation across Yorkshire, we understand the unique role we can play in bringing people together. By pooling resources, sharing knowledge, and aligning our efforts, we can tackle environmental challenges more effectively. This collaborative spirit fosters shared responsibility and helps us all achieve greater impact.
We’ve already built strong relationships with stakeholders at every level, from individual farmers to national organisations. Guided by the principles of integrated catchment management, we’re committed to addressing river health challenges at their source and continuing to strengthen these vital partnerships.
We'll improve our rivers by reducing the impact of our operations through:
We're continuously decreasing the phosphorus in our wastewater treatment works effluent
Preventing environmental harm from our storm overflows
We're eliminating pollution incidents as a result of our operations