A £4.2m Yorkshire Water project at the Shaw Mills wastewater treatment works near Harrogate, which will improve water quality in Thornley Beck and the river Nidd, is now complete.
The work, delivered by Eric Wright Water, has seen the installation of a new electro coagulation dosing system for the removal of Phosphorus, and additional improvements to the wider wastewater treatment process, such as a new tertiary solids removal unit.
By reducing the Phosphorus present in the treated wastewater returned to the environment, the project will improve the water quality of over 29km of the river downstream of the works.
Phosphorus is a normal part of domestic sewage, entering the sewer system via showers and washing machines in shampoos and liquid detergents. It can also wash off from agricultural fields after the use of fertilisers, 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.
Carl Mortimer, project manager at Yorkshire Water, said:
“The scheme at Shaw Mills is one of a number of Phosphorus reduction schemes that we have completed across Yorkshire as part of our 2020-2025 investment. Improving the health of our rivers is incredibly important, which is why we committed to investing £500m in Phosphorus removal at our wastewater treatment works around the region over the five-year period.”
The project is now delivering the benefits to the water quality in Thornley Beck and River Nidd. Some final construction work is ongoing at the site.
Nearby, Yorkshire Water is investing £19m at its Killinghall wastewater treatment works to further reduce the levels of Phosphorous entering the river Nidd by creating an 800m2 aerated rush bed to naturally treat wastewater flows.
