£7.7m project to improve river Foss starts at Haxby Walbutts, Strensall

Yorkshire Water is set to start a £7.7m Phosphorus removal scheme at Haxby Walbutts wastewater treatment works, Brecks Lane, Strensall, to help improve the water quality in the river Foss.

Work will start on site on Monday 22 June, when contract partners Mott McDonald Bentley (MMB), will begin the process of applying specialist chemicals and helpful bacteria to reduce the amount Phosphorus in treated wastewater, before it is safely returned to the environment.

Phosphorus is a normal part of domestic wastewater, entering the sewer system via showers and washing machines through products such as shampoo and liquid detergent.  It can also wash off from agricultural fields after the use of fertilisers and be dissolved from soil which can be difficult to control.

While a small amount of Phosphorus is harmless and is an essential part of many ecosystems, it can become damaging to human and animal life when unmanaged.  It can cause algae on waterways, which blocks out sunlight for other plants, causing harm to a range of water-based life.

Lucie Arger, project manager at Yorkshire Water, said: “This project will result in significant reductions in Phosphorus levels going into the river Foss following full treatment and is well below the level set by the Environment Agency. It is part of Yorkshire Water’s £2bn investment on its Water Industry National Environment Programme directed towards environmental improvements focusing on storm overflows and wastewater treatment.”

The scheme is expected to complete late 2028 and will result in a reduction of the current Phosphorus levels of 0.9919 mg/l down to 0.25 mg/l.  As the majority of the works is on the existing wastewater treatment works, disruption to the local community will be kept to an absolute minimum.

This project follows £500m investment in Phosphorus removal throughout Yorkshire between 2020 and 2025 under Water Industry National Environment Programme. 

Yorkshire Water is making its largest ever environmental investment of £8.3bn across the region over the next five years to improve its services, infrastructure and the environment.