First of three storm overflow projects underway in Horsforth (1)

Yorkshire Water has begun one of three storm overflow projects which will take place in Horsforth over the next three years, as part of its £1.5bn investment in reducing the number of discharges across the region.  

The initial scheme will see an underground storage tank being built on Fraser Avenue, with further schemes planned to start on Newlaithes Rd and Newlay Grove in spring and summer 2026. 

Together, the £3m investment will create 300m3 of stormwater storage – which will hold three million litres of storm water - to help reduce discharges into the river Aire. 

The storage tank on Fraser Avenue will build additional capacity into the network, holding excess wastewater during periods of bad weather to prevent it from being discharged. Flows will be sent for treatment when capacity in the network has returned to normal levels. 

Lydia Mitchell, project manager at Yorkshire Water, said: “Our storm overflows are operating more often than we, and our customers, would like, and projects like these are helping us to bring those figures down. The Fraser Avenue scheme is just one of 37 planned storm overflow projects in Leeds over the next five years, and one of the first of nearly 500 storm spill reduction schemes across Yorkshire over the next five years.” 

The work at Fraser Avenue is already underway. To allow the work to take place, and for the safety of colleagues, residents, and road users, there will be a lane closure in place from Fraser Avenue towards Horsforth Roundabout from 3 November for four weeks. 

Lydia added: “Our contract partners M Group will be working as quickly as they can and working hard to keep disruption to a minimum. The lane closure is vital for the completion of this important and necessary project. We thank everyone for their patience and understanding.” 

The projects will  contribute to reducing the number of discharges from overflows in Leeds by 72%, by 2030. 

The overall £1.5bn investment programme follows a £180m investment over the previous two years, which helped reduce discharges to watercourses by 12% in 2024, compared to 2023. 

Storm overflows are designed to act as a relief valve for the combined sewer network, which carries both wastewater and surface water, during periods of heavy or prolonged rainfall. They discharge when the system is at capacity to prevent flows backing up and flooding homes and gardens. 

Across Yorkshire, the need for storm overflows to operate will be reduced by building new: 

• Surface water sewers, to separate surface water and wastewater so that wastewater networks aren’t impacted by bad weather 
• Underground storage tanks, to build additional capacity into the network 
• Nature-based solutions, to build additional capacity into the network 
• Sustainable drainage systems, to slow the flow of surface water into the combined network 

The storm overflow project is part of Yorkshire Water’s £8.3bn investment into its services and the environment over the next five years.