We’re proud to be doing right by Yorkshire through our largest-ever environmental investment programme. Over the next five years, we’re investing £8.3 billion across the region to upgrade infrastructure and improve services.
As part of this programme, we’re making a significant investment in wastewater treatment. Currently, Scarborough North Bay is deemed ‘sufficient’ and the South Bay is deemed ‘poor’ by the Environment Agency. Our investment will help protect the town and coastline for future generations.
To do this we’ll be using a mix of solutions to capture, store and treat wastewater. We know people may have questions and want to know what's happening. That's why we'll share regular updates and provide opportunities for you to learn more about the work.
Ground investigations and surveys
To help us plan the best improvements, we first need to learn more about the local area and what is underground.
Over the next few months, our partners MMB, Socotec and Central Alliance will carry out surveys and ground investigations across the town.
This work will help us learn about:
- the shape and layout of the land
- underground pipes, cables and other services
- soil, rock and groundwater conditions
The information we gather, along with feedback from our consultation, will help us decide the best way to make improvements. It will also help us plan future work safely, reduce disruption and make sure work is carried out as efficiently as possible.
You may see survey teams working on roads and footpaths. They may use tripods, measuring equipment and, in some locations, drilling equipment to create boreholes (deep holes used to investigate the ground). These holes will be between around 50-80m deep, and no wider than a football.
Some temporary disruption may be needed, but we will do our best to keep this to a minimum.
If our work is likely to affect you directly, we will contact you in advance wherever possible.
Have your say
In person
We're holding a series of drop-in events across Scarborough, where you can speak directly with members of the project team, find out more about our borehole investigations and ask any questions you may have.
No booking is required. Simply drop in at any time during the event.
Peasholm Park, opposite the Buttercup Kiosk (What3Words: W3W ///skin.salads.ship): Wednesday 9 September 2026, 10am to 2pm
Northstead Upper Car Park (What3Words ///copper.almost.labs): Wednesday 23 September 2026, 10am to 2pm
Sainsbury's car park (What3Words: ///scope.prices.slang): Wednesday 7 October 2026, 10am to 2pm
Sainsbury's car park (What3Words ///scope.prices.slang): Wednesday 21 October 2026, 10am to 2pm
We look forward to meeting you and answering any questions you may have about the project.
Online
Our online webinars are a great way to learn more about the work we're doing to improve bathing water quality in Scarborough.
During the webinars, you can find out:
- why we're carrying out surveys and ground investigations
- what work will be taking place in the local area
- what you can expect
- how the information we collect will help us plan future improvements.
There will also be an opportunity to ask questions and find out more about the project.
Register for online drop-in 1: Wednesday 2 September 2026, 6pm to 7pm
Register for online drop-in 2: Wednesday 16 September 2026, 6pm to 7pm
Register for online drop-in 3: Wednesday 30 September 2026, 6pm to 7pm
Register for online drop-in 4: Wednesday 14 October 2026, 6pm to 7pm
Register for online drop-in 5: Wednesday 28 October 2026, 6pm to 7pm
You can also use the online Doing Right by Scarborough customer platform to keep up to date with the works. Or you can download the app; just search ‘Doing right by Scarborough on the Google or Apple Store.
Any questions?
How often is the sea water tested?
The Environment Agency tests water quality for regulatory purposes up to 20 times during the bathing season (May to September).
Some beaches may be tested less often if water quality has been consistently excellent. You can find details for specific locations on the Environment Agency’s SWIMFO website.
What contributes to poor water quality?
The environment agency test water quality by looking for two types of bacteria, E-coli and Intestinal Enterococci. This can be found in many forms including farming and agricultural runoff, trade effluent from businesses, misconnections and third part involvement, storm overflow sewage, animals and seabirds and the amount on natural UV we get across the UK.
What types of solution will you be investing in for Scarborough?
We’re currently exploring a range of options to help reduce releases from storm overflows. We’d like you to come and talk to us about these and help shape what we do next. They include:
Surface water sewers
Divert rainwater into a separate sewer to reduce pressure on the network. This helps stop the wastewater network becoming overwhelmed during heavy rain and means rainwater can return to waterways without needing full treatment.
Underground storage tanks
Can store excess wastewater, meaning when there’s heavy rainfall, we’ll be able to hold more excess wastewater back and reduce reliance on storm overflows during periods of bad weather.
Underground tunnels
Divert wastewater away from our coastline to be treated at alternate upgraded treatment plants.
Nature-based solutions or sustainable drainage systems
This includes rainwater harvesting, permeable surfaces, swales and rain gardens.
Hard surfaces like concrete and tarmac don’t absorb water, so rain runs into drains and puts pressure on the network. These sustainable drainage solutions help slow that down by managing rainwater in a more natural, lower impact way.