More river-polluting misconnections found year-on-year in Yorkshire

The number of sewer misconnections, where wastewater pipework has been plumbed into surface water sewers incorrectly, uncovered by Yorkshire Water in partnership with local community groups and trusts, is increasing every year.

Misconnections can include wastewater from toilets, sinks, and household appliances plumbed into a surface water drain which takes flows straight to local watercourses instead of to a treatment site. A misconnection can also come from industrial premises leading to chemicals or waste products being discharged directly to rivers.

Often, a misconnection isn’t done on purpose, but they can cause problems for drainage systems and impact the health of local rivers and becks.

Working with local community groups and trusts, Yorkshire Water has found a growing number of misconnections every year since 2023, as a result of increased partnership working and citizen science initiatives, such as water quality monitoring and outfall safaris.

142 misconnections were identified in 2023, 184 were found in 2024, and to-date, 242 have been located this year.

Urban areas have been found to be hotspots – with clusters in North Leeds, Harrogate, and Dewsbury.

Clare Beasant, River Health Improvement Manager at Yorkshire Water, said: “We’re working hard to improve the overall health of our rivers, and while that does involve a significant investment into our wastewater assets, it also means collaborating with local stakeholders to understand all of the factors that are impacting river water quality.

“Misconnections are often discovered during coordinated searches with our partners and, while we’re disappointed in the growing number we’re finding, it is representative of the increased amount of work that we’re collectively putting in to protect Yorkshire’s rivers. Very recently, we worked with the Aire Rivers Trust to assess 295 pipes on the North Leeds stretch of the River Aire, finding 20 of them to be misconnected and having an impact on the watercourse. A similar project in partnership with the Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust helped us identify more misconnections for investigation in the Harrogate area.”

Sarah Lonsdale, project manager for river enhancement at Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust added: “It's really important to us to spread the word about the Harrogate Outfall Safari and what we are doing with the local community to encourage their volunteer involvement. We recently shared our results at a local meeting which also proved very popular. Helping people learn about misconnections, how to spot them and the potential damage they can do to aquatic life is invaluable, providing Yorkshire Water with important information about where there are probable issues with misconnections to inform their investigations. It also helps our work too, highlighting pollution hotspots."

David Clayden from the Nidd Action Group added: "Our group was set up because of concerns about sewage pollution. We continue to encourage and support improved wastewater processes, but as we learn more about the causes and sources of pollution by working together with all stakeholders, citizens need to appreciate that sometimes we are the cause, not just the victims, of pollution. Joint collaborative activities like outfall safaris improve our understanding and our effectiveness in improving our river environment.”

When a misconnection is found, Yorkshire Water contacts the property owners with information and guidance as to how they can fix the problem. Local councils and the Environment Agency are able to enforce action should the issue not be addressed. Of the 568 identified misconnections since 2023, 290 are still open cases and yet to be resolved by property owners.

More information on misconnections can be found at https://www.yorkshirewater.com/your-water/misconnections

To prevent misconnections happening whilst work is being doing in your property, it is important to use a WaterSafe accredited plumber.