Allerton Bywater watercourse improved following £11m Yorkshire Water upgrade

An £11m upgrade completed at Garforth wastewater treatment works, Allerton Bywater, is helping to improve water quality in Sheffield Beck. 

Yorkshire Water and contractors Mott Macdonald Bentley expect the work to reduce the amount of Phosphorus returned to the beck following the wastewater treatment process will improve water quality of over 10km of the watercourse downstream of the treatment works. 

Following the upgrades, Phosphorus levels entering Sheffield Beck from Garforth treatment works have dropped from 3.25 mg/l to 0.21 mg/l - a reduction of 93%. 

Phosphorus is a normal part of domestic sewage, entering the sewer system via domestic showers and washing machines due to products such as shampoo and liquid detergent containing Phosphorus. 

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. 

The £11m upgrade saw the installation of new equipment and upgrades to the existing treatment works to remove Phosphorus from the cleaned wastewater that is returned to the environment. 

Phoebe Ripley, project manager at Yorkshire Water, said: “We’re committed to improving Yorkshire’s water environment and helping it thrive. Projects like this will ultimately improve the water quality in Sheffield Beck and ensure it can be enjoyed by customers and wildlife for many years to come. 

“This is just one of many examples of projects underway across the region to improve our infrastructure as we deliver our largest ever environmental investment.”